New Study Finds Depression in Our Genes
The Takeaway | Aug 2, 2016
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In the ongoing struggle to understand the biology of depression, there's been a massive new breakthrough, thanks in part to a popular at-home DNA test.
Gene-testing company 23andMe and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals collaborated to explore the DNA of more than 450,000 people. This unprecedented wealth of genome data for depression research has led researchers to 15 specific regions in the human genome that could signal a risk of clinical depression.
Dr. Ashley Winslow headed the research team. She's the neurogenetics director at the University of Pennsylvania's Orphan Disease Center, and she worked as a neuroscientist at Pfizer during the study.
