The physiological genomics of mental health from the perspective of the Brazilian exposome

• Grant number: 20/05652-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2022
• End date: February 28, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Diego Luiz Rovaris
• Grantee: Diego Luiz Rovaris
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alejandro Arias Vasquez ; Claiton Henrique Dotto Bau ; Eugenio Horacio Grevet ; Mario Rodrigues Louzã Neto
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/03551-2 - Investigation of biological pathways linking attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and suicidal behavior., BP.MS; 24/04362-9 - The biological connections between Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, BP.DD; 23/12252-6 - Epigenetic aspects involved in ADHD and related phenotypes, BP.PD; + associated scholarships 22/10133-7 - Interactions between Polygenic Risk Scores and Environmental and Epigenomic Background in the Susceptibility and Severity of Mental Disorders, BP.IC; 22/04135-7 - Interactions between polygenic scores and environmental background in regards to suscpetibility and gravity of mental disorders, BP.IC; 22/04126-8 - The biological relations between Attendion Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, BP.DD - associated scholarships

Abstract

Countries with high social inequalities, such as Brazil, present a "potential context" for assessing the impact of exposome on mental health. This study will examine if the social factors (poverty and urban and domestic violence) play a differential role in the genomic, epigenomic, and gut microbial modulation involved in mental disorders with a high heritability, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), compared to those with a low heritability, such as depression. Therefore, we will evaluate if individuals presenting with both disorders have a different molecular signature than those presenting with ADHD only or depression only, considering also potential effects coming from different exposomes. This project intends to assess a large sample of individuals from a collaboration with the Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade de São Paulo. A biorepository of biological matrices will be established to further carry out genome and epigenome scans, and gut microbiome analysis. Cutting-edge methods in bioinformatics and statistical genetics will be applied to integrate the collected data, in a previously established network of collaboration involving the University of São Paulo and the Radboud University, a Dutch institution with extensive experience in research. This project, while implementing a new line of research in Physiological Genomics of Mental Health in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of São Paulo, aims to reveal potential pathophysiological mechanisms relevant to the diverse Brazilian population that are involved in high social impact mental disorders. (AU)

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE ARAUJO TAVARES, MARIA EDUARDA; CUPERTINO, RENATA BASSO; BANDEIRA, CIBELE EDOM; DA SILVA, BRUNA SANTOS; VITOLA, EDUARDO SCHNEIDER; IGLESIAS SALGADO, CARLOS ALBERTO; SOARES, ROBSON DOS SANTOS; PICON, FELIPE ALMEIDA; ROHDE, LUIS AUGUSTO; ROVARIS, DIEGO LUIZ; et al. Refining patterns of MEF2C effects in white matter microstructure and psychiatric features. JOURNAL OF NEURAL TRANSMISSION, v. 130, n. 5, p. 10-pg., 2023-04-01. (20/05652-0)

BANDEIRA, CIBELE EDOM; GREVET, EUGENIO HORACIO; VITOLA, EDUARDO SCHNEIDER; DA SILVA, BRUNA SANTOS; CUPERTINO, RENATA BASSO; PICON, FELIPE ALMEIDA; ITO, LUCAS TOSHIO; TAVARES, MARIA EDUARDA DE ARAUJO; ROVARIS, DIEGO LUIZ; GRIMM, OLIVER; et al. Exploring Neuroimaging Association Scores in adulthood ADHD and middle-age trajectories. JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, v. 176, p. 6-pg., 2024-06-26. (20/05652-0)

VIDOR, MARCOS VINICIUS; VITOLA, EDUARDO SCHNEIDER; BANDEIRA, CIBELE EDOM; MARTINS, ALEXANDRE RIBEIRO; TAVARES, MARIA EDUARDA DE ARAUJO; CUPERTINO, RENATA BASSO; PANZENHAGEN, ALANA CASTRO; DA SILVA, BRUNA SANTOS; FALKENBERG, ISABEL GHIRARDI; BARRETO, PEDRO OLAVO; et al. Glutamate imbalance in key structure of the default mode network in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. EUROPEAN ARCHIVES OF PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE, v. N/A, p. 9-pg., 2024-05-16. (20/05652-0)

BRUXEL, ESTELA M.; ROVARIS, DIEGO L.; BELANGERO, SINTIA I.; CHAVARRIA-SOLEY, GABRIELA; CUELLAR-BARBOZA, ALFREDO B.; MARTINEZ-MAGANA, JOSE J.; NAGAMATSU, SHEILA T.; NIEVERGELT, CAROLINE M.; NUNEZ-RIOS, DIANA L.; OTA, VANESSA K.; et al. Psychiatric genetics in the diverse landscape of Latin American populations. Nature Genetics, v. N/A, p. 15-pg., 2025-04-02. (19/13229-2, 21/15030-9, 20/15752-1, 20/05652-0, 23/05560-6, 23/12252-6)