Treating depression in the era of precision medicine: Challenges and perspectives

We are at the dawn of a new era of treatment for major depressive disorder involving precision medicine. Research is using big data, genome-wide association studies, and pharmacogenomics to create a combinatorial biological and environmental model of depression. Biomarkers have already been used to indicate causative pathways and the effectiveness of treatment responses in other areas of medicine. As technology advances, psychiatric practice will be able to use new tools and technology to assist with diagnosis and drug treatment options. The complex interaction of the inherited genome, epigenetic responses, pharmacokinetics, and environmental factors combine to produce endophenotypic outcomes that are predictable. The prevalence and cost burden of depression are so great that improved diagnostic tools are needed. The role of pharmacogenomics and related sciences pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are discussed.