# Inflammatory factors and kynurenine metabolites tracking suicidal behavior

> **NIH NIH R01** · VAN ANDEL RESEARCH INSTITUTE · 2021 · $690,071

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the US, and its rate continues to increase. Most individuals who die by
suicide are in contact with health care, but clinical risk assessment is challenging. Inflammatory biomarkers have
tentatively been linked to suicide. However, longitudinal studies establishing their accuracy in tracking suicidal
behavior and critical symptoms are lacking. Therefore, we propose a longitudinal study with 1,280 assessments,
measuring suicidal behavior, associated clinical symptoms and blood biomarkers of inflammation. We will also
analyze the inflammatory mediators in postmortem brain tissue from suicide decedents. Our overriding aim is to
identify a set of biomarkers that distinguish patients with suicidal behavior from depressive patients without
suicidal behavior. Further, we intend to define biomarkers that are elevated during active suicidal behavior (at-
risk periods) within the same patients. Our working model is that inflammation (via pro-inflammatory cytokines)
induces the kynurenine pathway, leading to an increased production of neurotoxic kynurenine metabolites (i.e.,
the NMDA-receptor agonist quinolinic acid), which triggers suicidal behavior. We predict that the elevated
quinolinic acid in suicidal individuals is associated with epigenetic changes, regulating the expression of
kynurenine enzymes in blood and brain cells. We hypothesize that inflammatory cytokines and kynurenine
metabolites in plasma are biomarkers of suicidal behavior, and that similar changes will also be evident in
postmortem brain tissue from suicide decedents. To test this, we will pursue three specific aims: (1) Establish
biomarkers that indicate risk for active suicidal behavior; (2) Quantify levels of inflammatory mediators in
postmortem brain tissue from suicide decedents; (3) Determine epigenetic marks in blood and brain tissue of
patients with suicidal behavior. In Aim 1, we will enroll patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and active
suicidal behavior, and MDD patients without current or past suicidal behavior. Each subject will be assessed at
eight time-points over one year, including two assessments at admission and discharge at an inpatient ward. We
will measure interleukins and acute phase reactants as well as tryptophan, serotonin and metabolites of the
kynurenine pathway in peripheral blood. In Aim 2, we will measure the inflammatory biomarkers in post-mortem
brain tissue from medication-free suicide decedents from the same diagnostic groups and controls. We expect
that suicide will be associated with inflammation in brain and increased levels of key kynurenine metabolites,
reflecting an altered epigenetic regulation of enzymes in the pathway. Last, we will perform whole-genome
methylation analysis using Illumina EPIC arrays, followed by gene pathway analyses, both in blood of the
enrolled patients and in postmortem brain tissue. Our project will aid the implementation of biomarkers in clinical...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10179495
- **Project number:** 5R01MH118211-03
- **Recipient organization:** VAN ANDEL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** Eric Daniel Achtyes
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $690,071
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10179495

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10179495, Inflammatory factors and kynurenine metabolites tracking suicidal behavior (5R01MH118211-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10179495. Licensed CC0.

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