Updates on Genome-Wide Association Findings in Eating Disorders and Future Application to Precision Medicine

Lauren Breithaupt; Christopher Hubel; Cynthia M Bulik

doi:10.2174/1570159X16666180222163450

Updates on Genome-Wide Association Findings in Eating Disorders and Future Application to Precision Medicine

Curr Neuropharmacol. 2018;16(8):1102-1110. doi: 10.2174/1570159X16666180222163450.

Authors

Lauren Breithaupt^{1

2}, Christopher Hubel^{1

3}, Cynthia M Bulik^{1

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
² Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States.
³ MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.
⁵ Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.

Abstract

Heterogeneity, frequent diagnostic fluctuation across presentations, and global concerns with the absence of effective treatments all encourage science that moves the field toward individualized or precision medicine in eating disorders. We review recent advances in psychiatric genetics focusing on genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in eating disorders. Given that the only eating disorder to be the subject of GWAS to date is anorexia nervosa, we review anorexia GWAS and enumerate the prospects and challenges of a genomics-driven approach towards personalized intervention in eating disorders.

Keywords: Eating disorders; GWAS; anorexia nervosa; genetics; heritability; heterogeneity; pathways; polygenic risk score..

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Feeding and Eating Disorders / genetics*
Feeding and Eating Disorders / therapy*
Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
Humans
Precision Medicine*