microRNA profiling in PBMCs of patients at risk for mood disorders

microRNAs are a large class of small regulatory non-coding RNAs that play important roles in nervous system development and plasticity. Differential microRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) has been observed in different neurological disorders and could potentially be used for diagnostic purposes and disease classification. This project aims to identify miRNAs that are differentially expressed between three different subgroups (control group, genetic risk group, environmental risk group) of patients form a large cohort (n>2000) Recruited in a longitudinal study for affective disorders (MACS). The identified miRNA profiles could be useful for assessing the risk for developing affective disorders, biotyping and treatment response.