# Biomarkers for Suicidality

> **NIH NIH R01** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2021 · $393,750

## Abstract

One person dies by suicide every 40 seconds worldwide. Having a psychiatric
disorder increases risk. Self-report of an individual or clinical impression of a healthcare
professional are not always reliable. Developing and validating quantitative and objective
ways for predicting and preventing suicidality (ideation, attempts, completions) is urgently
needed. Recent work by our group has identified blood gene expression biomarkers that
track suicidality using longitudinal within-subject designs, validated them in suicide
completers, and tested them in independent cohorts for ability to assess state (suicidal
ideation), and ability to predict trait (future hospitalizations for suicidality). These studies
were conducted in males with psychiatric disorders (Le-Niculescu et al. Molecular
Psychiatry 2013, Niculescu et al. Molecular Psychiatry 2015) and in females with
psychiatric disorders (Levey et al. Molecular Psychiatry 2016). The studies pointed to
some similarities as well as to important gender differences. A fundamental question
remains to be answered: is a quest for more universal predictors that work across genders
and are trans-diagnostic, or a quest for more personalized predictors by gender and
diagnosis going to be more productive, for ultimate translation to clinical practice? We
endeavored to answer this fundamental question with a recent series of studies
(Niculescu et al. Molecular Psychiatry 2017), and would like to extend and solidify that
with the work proposed in this grant application. First, we will solidify findings for blood
gene expression biomarkers for suicidality that are more universal in nature, working
across genders and various psychiatric diagnoses, and are predictive in independent
cohorts. Second, a more personalized discovery and testing approach, by gender and
psychiatric diagnosis, will be undertaken. We will compare the results of the personalized
approach to the universal approach, to determine which approach identifies better
predictors in independent cohorts. Third, the top biomarkers will also be used to
understand the biological pathways involved, co-morbidity with other disorders, as well
as generate leads on pharmacogenomics and repurposed drugs. This work will permit us
to establish generalizability, discriminatory power, and potential personalization of
biomarkers and panels of biomarkers, of high relevance to developing this area towards
full clinical applicability as precision medicine. Given the fact that suicide is a potentially
preventable cause of death, the need for efforts such as ours cannot be overstated.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10216982
- **Project number:** 5R01MH117431-03
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Alexander B Niculescu
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $393,750
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-02 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10216982

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10216982, Biomarkers for Suicidality (5R01MH117431-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10216982. Licensed CC0.

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