Genetic Test Identifies Patients at Risk of Suicidal Ideation

A genetic test can identify people at risk for suicidal ideation--thoughts of committing suicide.

Called the Mark-C test, it is very simple to perform. A cotton swab is brushed inside of the patient's cheek to obtain a sample of DNA. Test results are reported to the physician within two to four days from receipt of the sample. Two of the markers probed by the Mark-C test reside in genes that encode receptors for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. These are the genes GRIK2 and GRIA3, both of which encode ionotropic glutamate receptors, the most prominent neuronal membrane receptors in the mammalian brain activated by normal neurophysiologic processes.

NeuroMark (Boulder, CO, USA) announced the immediate availability of the Mark-C test, which is expected to help restore public confidence in antidepressant medication and help to reduce a recently announced spike in suicide rates among U.S. youth. The test is meant to be given to patients who are prescribed the antidepressant drug citalopram.

A company representative said, "We feel a sense of responsibility, given the current climate, to provide the test to physicians immediately so that they may identify patients who would benefit from closer monitoring or even a change in therapy. It is our hope that this early test will encourage more people to consider antidepressant drug treatment who would benefit from it.”

"Before the NeuroMark test, we couldn't differentiate between the subset of patients who were at risk of suicidal ideation and those who could more safely take an antidepressant drug,” stated NeuroMark president Dr. Peter Tolias. "The Mark-C test is highly predictive and identifies citalopram-treated patients who are at high risk for suicidal ideation. The test also identifies people at low risk, giving the physician more confidence in prescribing citalopram,” he added.

The company is inviting physicians and patients across the United States to participate in prospectively collecting data to confirm and extend the predicted risk of the Mark-C test. The data will be compiled in the Mark-C outcomes database, and participating physicians and patients will be notified as the new data they submit confirms and extends the predictive value and clinical utility of the test.


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