The collection was obtained from subjects with major depression diagnosed by qualified psychiatrists. All subjects met DSM IV: 296.3, 296.32, 296.33, 296.34 PrecisionMed Completes Major Depression Biobank Collectionor 296.35 criteria. All subjects are of Northern European origin; approximately half of each group are Ashkenazi Jews while the other half are non-Jewish Caucasians.

Depressed subjects have a family history of depression in a first degree relative and control subjects have no reported family history of neuropsychiatric disease. Additional phenotypic information includes: ethnicity up to grandparents, detailed family history, history of head injury, seizure disorder or syncope, medications, nicotine and alcohol use, as well as other clinical features of their depression including delusions, hallucinations and suicide ideation.

PrecisionMed maintains a repository of human biological material. Collections include DNA, RNA, serum and other biological fluids linked to accurate phenotypic and subphenotypic data from a wide range of people with mental illness. Samples and linked data are available to the pharmaceutical industry, academic and government researchers for use in drug discovery and development, therapeutic target validation, molecular diagnostic product development, and identification of novel and candidate disease genes and proteins.

"We are pleased to add major depression to our growing inventory of banked collections in the neuroscience area," said John Flax, M.D., president and CEO of PrecisionMed. "Our current inventory includes banked controlled collections in schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, major depression, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and we are adding controlled collections in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), bipolar I disorder, Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease (with CSF) and familial Alzheimer's disease. PrecisionMed is skilled in performing custom collections and we have significant experience in accessing 'difficult to reach' populations. All these factors make PrecisionMed an attractive potential partner for research companies."

Subjects are enrolled into PrecisionMed collections based on strict inclusion criteria, and clinical data are carefully audited before entry into the PrecisionMed database.

"The scientific value of genetic samples is a direct function of the validity and depth of the clinical phenotypic information," said Dr. Herbert Meltzer, medical director of PrecisionMed. "Genotyping and other laboratory aspects of this important strategy for pharmaceutical development are often commoditized. However, in all cases, but neuropsychiatric illness in particular, accurate diagnostic classification and collection of relevant additional demographic and clinical response data are especially important because of the absence of laboratory means of establishing diagnosis. PrecisionMed understands this and has made every effort to obtain reliable information and exclude subjects when significant uncertainty exists. PrecisionMed is as precise as possible."


About PrecisionMed