Featured Publications
Towards understanding and predicting suicidality in women: biomarkers and clinical risk assessment
Levey DF, Niculescu EM, Le-Niculescu H, Dainton HL, Phalen PL, Ladd TB, Weber H, Belanger E, Graham DL, Khan FN, Vanipenta NP, Stage EC, Ballew A, Yard M, Gelbart T, Shekhar A, Schork NJ, Kurian SM, Sandusky GE, Salomon DR, Niculescu AB. Towards understanding and predicting suicidality in women: biomarkers and clinical risk assessment. Molecular Psychiatry 2016, 21: 768-785. PMID: 27046645, DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.31.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFuture hospitalizationConvergent functional genomics approachSuicide completersPrimary end pointSingle blood biomarkerTop biomarkersReceiver-operating characteristic areaRisk prediction scoreClinical risk assessmentDisorder participantsIndependent test cohortForm of APPProphylactic benefitNeurotrophic effectsBlood biomarkersSleep abnormalitiesPsychiatric hospitalizationHospitalizationMood disordersTest cohortCandidate biomarkersSuicide completionSuicidal ideationDrug lithiumChronic stress
2023
Towards precision medicine for anxiety disorders: objective assessment, risk prediction, pharmacogenomics, and repurposed drugs
Roseberry K, Le-Niculescu H, Levey D, Bhagar R, Soe K, Rogers J, Palkowitz S, Pina N, Anastasiadis W, Gill S, Kurian S, Shekhar A, Niculescu A. Towards precision medicine for anxiety disorders: objective assessment, risk prediction, pharmacogenomics, and repurposed drugs. Molecular Psychiatry 2023, 28: 2894-2912. PMID: 36878964, PMCID: PMC10615756, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01998-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsIndependent cohortCandidate biomarkersPsychiatric subjectsPersonalized approachConvergent functional genomics approachAnxiety disordersBest overall evidenceAdverse life eventsClinical worseningGene expression signaturesBlood biomarkersAnxiety medicationClinical utilityPsychiatric disordersHigh anxiety stateSevere anxietyUntreated anxietyDecrease qualityIndividual biomarkersAddiction potentialBiomarkersTop biomarkersAnxiety statesRisk predictionExpression signatures
2019
Towards precision medicine for stress disorders: diagnostic biomarkers and targeted drugs
Le-Niculescu H, Roseberry K, Levey D, Rogers J, Kosary K, Prabha S, Jones T, Judd S, McCormick M, Wessel A, Williams A, Phalen P, Mamdani F, Sequeira A, Kurian S, Niculescu A. Towards precision medicine for stress disorders: diagnostic biomarkers and targeted drugs. Molecular Psychiatry 2019, 25: 918-938. PMID: 30862937, PMCID: PMC7192849, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0370-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdaptor Proteins, Signal TransducingAdultBeta 2-MicroglobulinBiomarkersDEAD-box RNA HelicasesFemaleGene ExpressionHumansMaleMental DisordersMiddle AgedMolecular Targeted TherapyNogo ProteinsPrecision MedicinePredictive Value of TestsProto-Oncogene ProteinsReceptors, ImmunologicStress, PsychologicalTacrolimus Binding ProteinsTelomere HomeostasisConceptsPredictive biomarkersGene expression biomarkersTelomere lengthBlood gene expression biomarkersPossible new drug candidateStress disorderPsychological stressFuture psychiatric hospitalizationsVisual analog scaleHigh-risk groupSimple visual analog scaleDrug repurposing analysisExpression biomarkersGene expression signaturesAnalog scaleAdverse outcomesCalcium folinateCohort designHormonal changesPsychiatric hospitalizationDecreased qualityBiomarker findingsPsychiatric disordersPsychiatric patientsPatient stratificationTowards precision medicine for pain: diagnostic biomarkers and repurposed drugs
Niculescu A, Le-Niculescu H, Levey D, Roseberry K, Soe K, Rogers J, Khan F, Jones T, Judd S, McCormick M, Wessel A, Williams A, Kurian S, White F. Towards precision medicine for pain: diagnostic biomarkers and repurposed drugs. Molecular Psychiatry 2019, 24: 501-522. PMID: 30755720, PMCID: PMC6477790, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0345-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBlood gene expression biomarkersPossible new drug candidateFuture emergency department (ED) visitsEmergency department visitsHigh-risk groupDrug repurposing analysisCurrent opioid epidemicPerception of painSubjects longitudinal designGene expression signaturesPain statesDepartment visitsPain disordersTreatment dilemmaBlood biomarkersSC-560Opioid epidemicCohort designRisk groupsIndependent cohortPainGene expression biomarkersPsychiatric patientsDiagnostic biomarkersIndividual biomarkers
2017
Precision medicine for suicidality: from universality to subtypes and personalization
Niculescu A, Le-Niculescu H, Levey D, Phalen P, Dainton H, Roseberry K, Niculescu E, Niezer J, Williams A, Graham D, Jones T, Venugopal V, Ballew A, Yard M, Gelbart T, Kurian S, Shekhar A, Schork N, Sandusky G, Salomon D. Precision medicine for suicidality: from universality to subtypes and personalization. Molecular Psychiatry 2017, 22: 1250-1273. PMID: 28809398, PMCID: PMC5582166, DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.128.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSuicidal ideationIndependent cohortPersonalized approachFuture hospitalizationPsychiatric diagnosisCandidate biomarkersUniversal biomarkerBlood gene expression biomarkersBiology of suicideTop biomarkersNovel predictive biomarkerHigh-risk groupNon-psychiatric disordersDrug repurposing analysisPublic health problemMonitoring of responseNovel potential therapeuticsHigher suicidal ideationPredictive biomarkersClinical trialsComprehensive stepwise approachRisk groupsLarge cohortMood disordersPreventive therapeutics
2016
Mood, stress and longevity: convergence on ANK3
Rangaraju S, Levey DF, Nho K, Jain N, Andrews KD, Le-Niculescu H, Salomon DR, Saykin AJ, Petrascheck M, Niculescu AB. Mood, stress and longevity: convergence on ANK3. Molecular Psychiatry 2016, 21: 1037-1049. PMID: 27217151, PMCID: PMC9798616, DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.65.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSignificant single nucleotide polymorphismsC. elegansGenome-wide association study approachLongevity/agingFunctional genomics approachConvergent functional genomics approachOrthologs of genesOxidative stress resistanceCorresponding human orthologsHutchinson-Gilford progeria syndromeSeries of genesTop candidate genesGene expression studiesOlder wormsUnbiased drug screenANK3 expressionGenomic approachesAntagonistic pleiotropyGene expression biomarkersHuman orthologLow expression levelsStress resistanceSingle nucleotide polymorphismsBioinformatics analysisTop genes
2015
Understanding and predicting suicidality using a combined genomic and clinical risk assessment approach
Niculescu AB, Levey DF, Phalen PL, Le-Niculescu H, Dainton HD, Jain N, Belanger E, James A, George S, Weber H, Graham DL, Schweitzer R, Ladd TB, Learman R, Niculescu EM, Vanipenta NP, Khan FN, Mullen J, Shankar G, Cook S, Humbert C, Ballew A, Yard M, Gelbart T, Shekhar A, Schork NJ, Kurian SM, Sandusky GE, Salomon DR. Understanding and predicting suicidality using a combined genomic and clinical risk assessment approach. Molecular Psychiatry 2015, 20: 1266-1285. PMID: 26283638, PMCID: PMC4759104, DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.112.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFuture hospitalizationPsychiatric diagnosisSuicidal ideationCandidate biomarkersBipolar disorderPsychiatric participantsBlood gene expression biomarkersSuicidal behaviorConvergent functional genomics approachSuicide completersPreventive lifestyle modificationsTop candidate biomarkersTop biomarkersAcute panic attacksPotential therapeutic targetBipolar disorder participantsMajor psychiatric disordersIndependent test cohortSuicide risk factorsThoughts of suicideLifestyle modificationAcute suicidalityRisk factorsInflammatory responsePsychological stress responses
2013
Discovery and validation of blood biomarkers for suicidality
Le-Niculescu H, Levey DF, Ayalew M, Palmer L, Gavrin LM, Jain N, Winiger E, Bhosrekar S, Shankar G, Radel M, Bellanger E, Duckworth H, Olesek K, Vergo J, Schweitzer R, Yard M, Ballew A, Shekhar A, Sandusky GE, Schork NJ, Kurian SM, Salomon DR, Niculescu AB. Discovery and validation of blood biomarkers for suicidality. Molecular Psychiatry 2013, 18: 1249-1264. PMID: 23958961, PMCID: PMC3835939, DOI: 10.1038/mp.2013.95.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAcetyltransferasesAdultAgedBiomarkersBipolar DisorderGene ExpressionGene Expression ProfilingGenomicsHumansIntracellular Signaling Peptides and ProteinsMaleMAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 3Membrane ProteinsMiddle AgedMyristoylated Alanine-Rich C Kinase SubstrateOligonucleotide Array Sequence AnalysisPsychotic DisordersPTEN PhosphohydrolaseSuicidal IdeationSuicideConceptsBlood biomarkersMood disordersBlood gene expression biomarkersConvergent functional genomics approachCase-case designVisual analog scaleHigh-risk populationSimple visual analog scaleBlood expression levelsAge-matched cohortCause of deathMajor mood disordersBlood of subjectsBonferroni correctionExpression levelsBipolar disorder subjectsPsychosis subjectsBlood levelsFuture hospitalizationTime of testingMedication targetsPast hospitalizationHospitalization dataBipolar cohortCompleter group