Detecting suicide risk in bipolar disorder patients from lymphoblastoid cell lines genetic signatures

This research aimed to develop a machine learning algorithm to predict suicide risk in bipolar disorder (BD) patients using RNA sequencing analysis of lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). By identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high and low risk patients and their enrichment in relevant pathways, we gained insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying suicide risk. LCL gene expression analysis revealed pathway enrichment related to primary immunodeficiency, ion channels, and cardiovascular defects. Notably, genes such as LCK, KCNN2, and GRIA1 emerged as pivotal, suggesting their potential roles as biomarkers. Machine learning algorithms trained on a subset of the patients and tested on others demonstrated high accuracy in distinguishing low and high risk of suicide in BD patients. Additionally, the study explored the genetic overlap between suicide-related genes and several psychiatric disorders. Our study enhances the understanding of the complex interplay between genetics and suicidal behaviour, providing a foundation for prevention strategies.