Integrative neuroimmunology reveals leukocyte-expressing PAX6 as a critical predictor of major depressive disorder.

ABSTRACT: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a multifaceted psychiatric illness with profound global consequences. To illuminate its molecular underpinnings, we employed a genome-driven integrative systems neuroimmunology approach to analyze transcriptomic profiles from 3114 individuals (1877 MDD patients and 1237 controls). This analysis uncovered coordinated neuroimmune transcriptomic shifts, marked by altered expression of genes involved in innate immune regulation, suppression of inflammatory responses, and pathways related to sensory perception, visual system development, and synaptic signaling. These alterations were consistently observed in both peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) and brain regions implicated in MDD. Among 31 genes jointly dysregulated in blood and brain, four stood out as rob

SUBMITTER: Dias HD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12811296 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature