Lena Backlund
Affiliated to Research
E-mail: lena.backlund@ki.se
Visiting address: CMM, Karolinska universitetssjukhuset L8:00, 17176 Stockholm
Postal address: K1 Molekylär medicin och kirurgi, K1 MMK Translationell psykiatri, 171 76 Stockholm
Research
- Effective Lithium (Li)-prophylaxis is the most important factor for a good
prognosis in bipolar disorder (BD). However, 40-50% do not respond on
Li-treatment and there is a lack of biomarkers for Li-response. We aim to
develop biological markers for Li-response to use for a more targeted drug
choice already at onset of BD. Based on previous findings we hypothesize that
a high telomerase activity and/or epigenetic changes early after
Li-introduction can be used as such biomarkers.
Different genetic variants can be associated with a good Li-response. We have
assessed more than 700 patients for Lithium-response, which constitute a
large part of the material in the international project ConLiGen. There are
also other molecular genetic alternatives.
Telomeres (TL) are DNA nucleoprotein complexes that form the ends of
chromosomes and erode progressively with each cell division, which means that
the telomeric length declines with age, stress and disorders such as
depression. In contrast, physical exercise and effective treatment can
prevent TL shortening and rebuild TL s through telomerase activity.
Antidepressants have been found to protect against blood leucocyte TL
shortening. In this project we have found that Li-treated bipolar patients
had 35% longer leucocyte telomeres compared with controls and in line with
findings in unipolar depressive episodes TL was negatively associated with an
increasing number of depressive episodes, see selected publications.
Epigenetic changes are reversible changes in gene expression but not in the
DNA sequence, fundamental to the physiological processes that control the
genetic activity. These changes may be caused by the influence of
environmental factors or disease state, but also contributes to the
likelihood that the disease arises and precedes.
In a prospective study we follow telomere length, telomerase activity and
epigenetic changes associated with Li-response. Positive findings from this
project, might be of great importance in the clinical everyday life, save a
great deal of suffering, many lives and reduce the high costs for society.
Articles
- Article: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY. 2024;14(1):109
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2023;28(12):5251-5261
- Article: BIPOLAR DISORDERS. 2023;25(5):391-401
- Article: JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOMEDICAL ANALYSIS. 2023;227:115269
- Article: SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY. 2023;58(4):537-545
- Article: THE LANCET PSYCHIATRY. 2022;9(6):447-457
- Article: THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. SUPPLEMENT. 2022;220(4):1-10
- Article: COMPLEX PSYCHIATRY. 2021;7(3-4):80-89
- Article: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY. 2021;11(1):606
- Article: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 2021;11(1):17823
- Article: NATURE GENETICS. 2021;53(6):817-829
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2021;26(6):2457-2470
- Article: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 2021;11(1):1155
- Article: BIPOLAR DISORDERS. 2020;22(3):255-265
- Article: PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH. 2020;284:112677
- Article: CELL. 2019;179(7):1469-1482.e11
- Article: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 2019;86(2):110-119
- Article: COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY. 2019;48(4):285-299
- Article: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY. 2019;9(1):149
- Article: NATURE GENETICS. 2019;51(5):793-803
- Article: JAMA PSYCHIATRY. 2019;76(5):516-525
- Article: LAKARTIDNINGEN. 2019;116:FF4M
- Article: JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. 2019;245:597-601
- Article: BIPOLAR DISORDERS. 2019;21(1):68-75
- Article: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2018;9:207
- Article: COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY. 2018;1:163
- Article: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY. 2017;7(1):e993
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2016;21(10):1342-1350
- Article: HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS. 2016;25(15):3383-3394
- Article: PSYCHIATRIC GENETICS. 2016;26(3):136-139
- Article: THE LANCET. 2016;387(10023):1085-1093
- Article: BIPOLAR DISORDERS. 2016;18(1):33-40
- Article: JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. 2016;189:62-69
- Article: COMPLEX PSYCHIATRY. 2015;1(2):76-81
- Article: NATURE NEUROSCIENCE. 2015;18(2):199-209
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. 2015;18(7):pyv002
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2014;19(3):334-341
- Article: NATURE GENETICS. 2013;45(9):984-994
- Article: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY. 2013;3(5):e261
- Article: PLOS ONE. 2013;8(7):e67450
- Article: PLOS ONE. 2013;8(6):e65636
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2012;17(9):880-886
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY IN CLINICAL PRACTICE. 2012;16(3):170-177
- Article: PLOS ONE. 2012;7(8):e43057
- Article: NATURE GENETICS. 2011;43(10):977-983
- Article: BIPOLAR DISORDERS. 2011;13(5-6):500-508
- Article: PLOS ONE. 2010;5(9):e12632
- Article: JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. 2009;115(3):315-322
- Article: EUROPEAN PSYCHIATRY. 2009;24(3):171-177
- Article: PHYSIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR. 2007;92(1-2):199-202
- Show more
All other publications
- Preprint: RES SQ. 2023;RES SQ
- Corrigendum: THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. SUPPLEMENT. 2022;221(2):494
- Corrigendum: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY. 2022;12(1):278
- Review: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2020;11:586083
- Thesis / dissertation: 2010
- Letter: LAKARTIDNINGEN. 2009;106(23):1582
- Meeting abstract: EUROPEAN PSYCHIATRY. 2008;23:S227-S228
- Meeting abstract: EUROPEAN PSYCHIATRY. 2008;23:S225
Employments
- Affiliated to Research, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, 2023-2026
Degrees and Education
- Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 2010