DNA Diagnostics for Minimizing Metabolic Side-Effects of Antipsychotics

As many as 30% of psychiatric patients experience weight gain, central deposition of fat, dyslipidemia, increased blood glucose and hypertension--diabetic metabolic symptoms--upon treatment with atypical antipsychotic medication. As a result, cardiovascular disease risk is significantly increased.

The long-term goal of this collaborative study is to identify, for each individual atypical antipsychotic (AAP) medication, the gene variations associated with elevated risk of diabetic metabolic symptoms (DiMS). If such genes are identified, in the future genetic testing may help mental health care professionals choose treatment while minimizing the risk of undesirable side effects of antipsychotics. We propose to develop a novel product termed "Physiotype" to deliver personalized information for each patient on the drug specific risks among aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone. The Physiotype consists of a multi-gene ensemble of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that, interpreted with a biomathematical algorithm, may explain most of the inter-individual differences in DiMS among the 5 AAPs. If this study does identify related genes, genetic tests will be developed to provide patients and health care professionals with tools to identify those patients who are at risk of developing adverse metabolic side effects to antipsychotics.