Epigenetic Aging in Mood Disorders: Exploring the Role of Lithium and Future Therapies

In this week’s episode of the Everything Epigenetics podcast, Dr. Gabriel Fries and I discuss the fascinating intersections of epigenetics, aging, and psychiatric disorders. Dr. Fries, an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UTHealth, shares his groundbreaking research on the molecular underpinnings of mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and suicide risk. We dive into how psychiatric disorders are linked to accelerated aging, how drugs like lithium show promise in reversing these epigenetic changes, and the future of personalized medicine through pharmacoepigenetics.

You'll learn about:

• The importance of epigenetics in psychiatric disorders
• How psychiatric disorders accelerate the aging process
• The anti-aging effects of lithium in bipolar patients
• How epigenetic markers can help predict treatment responses
• The future of interventional trials aimed at reversing epigenetic aging
• The challenges facing the field and the need for replication studies

Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction to Epigenetics and Psychiatry
03:08 – How Epigenetics Mediates Gene-Environment Interactions in Mental Health
06:07 – Epigenetic Aging in Psychiatric Disorders
09:20 – Exploring the Accelerated Aging in Bipolar Disorder and Suicide Risk
17:02 – The Power of Second-Generation Epigenetic Clocks (PhenoAge, GrimAge)
19:45 – What is DunedinPACE? The Pace of Aging and Psychiatric Disorders
23:10 – Lithium’s Anti-Aging Effects in Bipolar Disorder
32:00 – Future Directions: Personalized Medicine Through Pharmacoepigenetics
36:16 – Interventional Drug Trials and Preventing Epigenetic Aging
38:19 – Challenges in the Field and the Need for Longitudinal Studies
42:00 – Final Thoughts: What’s Next for Dr. Fries and His Research