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What causes depression? Of course, life circumstances such as traumatic events, severe stress or grief play a role, but heredity studies have shown that a genetic predisposition to depression is equally important as environmental triggers [1]. Until very recently, though, the genes that underpin such a predisposition have proven elusive. But last week, a group of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts General Hospital published their study in Nature Genetics, identifying fifteen sites in our DNA that indicate a risk of major depression. Part of their search relied on a large amount of genetic data made available through 23andMe, a company that stores genetic information from over a million individuals. Identifying these genetic markers are not expected to lead to any new therapies for the moment. But the study is a recent example of how large and popular repositories of data like 23andMe can be used to solve longstanding questions.

 This article was originally published on www.healthcanal.com and can be viewed in full

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