Genetics Platform
Understanding the genetic contributions in bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder has far less genetic data than other major mental health conditions, which slows discovery and limits effective treatment.
The BD² Genetics Platform is changing that by generating one of the largest and most diverse genetic datasets in the field. BD² is supporting the sequencing of more than 30,000 samples from 150,000 total samples from people with bipolar disorder across Africa, Central America, South America, and Asia, alongside participants in the BD² Integrated Network.
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Bipolar Disorder Sequencing & Gene Discovery
Study Rationale
By generating a large genetic data set of diverse ancestries, this study is accelerating efforts for gene discovery in bipolar disorder and addressing the historic lack of inclusiveness in bipolar disorder genetics research.
Hypothesis
An increased and more diverse sample size will lead to the identification of rare genetic risk factors for bipolar disorder.
Study Design
The team is performing blended genome exome sequencing on one of the largest and most diverse cohorts of people with bipolar disorder and comparing it to genetic sequences of individuals without bipolar disorder. They are sequencing more than 30,000 samples collected from across Africa, Central America, South America, and Asia. This strategy is capturing both common genetic variation that may have a relatively small impact on bipolar risk and rare coding variants that have a larger effect on bipolar risk. The team is generating deep whole genome sequencing on a 2,000-sample subset to enhance the quality of common variant profiling.
Impact on Diagnosis & Treatment
Bipolar disorder is highly heritable, meaning that it tends to run in families, but it is unclear how and what genes contribute to bipolar. This study is helping to close the gap in scientific understanding and enable a clearer picture of which genes influence bipolar risk. This study will spur genetic discovery efforts for bipolar disorder which may be the foundation for new approaches to understanding the biology and developing new interventions.
Team
Project Outcomes
This study is generating actionable insights into common and rare genetic variations that increase bipolar risk. It is also building relationships with scientists, clinicians, and people living with bipolar around the world to ensure that this research benefits everyone living with bipolar disorder.
