Work

Immune dysfunction in psychiatric disorders: emerging genomic insights

Year: 2026

Type: review

Abstract: Psychiatric disorders are polygenic conditions of the mind and brain, yet immune associations emerge across genetic and molecular studies. Some immune signals may reflect assay bias or illness effects; immunogenetic approaches help disentangle cause and correlation. Genetic associations in the extended major histocompatibility complex (MHC) remain of unclear relevance to immunopathogenesis but warrant finer-resolution analysis. Integrating non-MHC risk variants with immunological data especially implicates adaptive immune cells in psychiatric pathogenesis. Epigenetic studies show that resting immune cells carry a 'poised' landscape encoding past exposures and predicting future responses, illuminating how genetic variability shapes illness risk from environmental insults such as stress and infection. While only some patients may have immune-driven symptoms, the tractability and accessibility of the immune system make it a compelling focus for stratification and therapeutics.

Source: Current Opinion in Genetics & Development

DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2026.102467

Authors: Isabelle M McGrath, Mary-Ellen Lynall

Institutions: University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Wellcome Sanger Institute

Language: English

Topic: Tryptophan and brain disorders

Subfield: Biological Psychiatry

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,200