On Jan. 14, 2025, an international research team led by the University of Edinburgh reported new genetic risk factors for depression have been identified across all major global populations for the first time, allowing scientists to predict risk of depression regardless of ethnicity.

The world’s largest and most diverse genetic study ever into major depression has revealed nearly 300 previously unknown genetic links to the condition. 100 of the newly discovered genetic variations – small differences in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene – were identified due to the inclusion of people of African, East Asian, Hispanic and South Asian descent, the study found.

The team looked at anonymised genetic data from more than five million people in 29 countries worldwide. One in four individuals included in the study were from non-European ancestries. Researchers identified a total of 700 variations in the genetic code of individuals linked to the development of depression, almost half of which had never been associated with the condition before, implicating 308 specific genes.

The identified genetic variants were linked to neurons – a type of brain cell – across multiple brain regions, including areas which control emotion. The findings offer new insight into depression’s impact on the brain and present possible new targets for treatment, experts say.

The research team highlight the existing drugs pregabalin and modafinil – used to treat chronic pain and the sleeping condition narcolepsy, respectively – which could potentially be repurposed for the treatment of depression, based on the study findings.  However, the team caution that further studies and clinical trials are needed to explore the potential of the drugs in patients with depression. The study was published in the journal Cell.