DNA damage and repair mechanisms in bipolar disorder

Abstract

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder, which has been associated with early aging and increased mortality and morbidity. Oxidative stress and related DNA damage are suggested as potential mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of BD and as contributory mechanisms to the increased medical comorbidity and early aging in BD. More recent data highlight involvement of the DNA repair mechanisms in BD across different states of illness and in response to treatment introducing new potential biomarkers for illness progress and perhaps treatment opportunities. In this chapter, data on oxidative stress and its relevance to DNA damage within the context of BD are presented. DNA damage and its measurement methods are given to provide the reader the context for variability in findings from different studies; various DNA repair mechanisms are introduced and the base excision repair (BER) mechanism is highlighted as the main mechanism to repair the oxidatively induced DNA damage. Data on BER and BD are presented as a source of new potential markers and finally the future directions for new horizons for the underlying mechanisms and future treatment options of BD are outlined.