Sex as a Biological Variable in Mood Disorders: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets

Women are diagnosed with mood disorders, including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, at nearly twice the rate of men, yet the molecular mechanisms driving this disparity remain incompletely understood. Genetic risk factors, epigenetic regulation, and hippocampal neuroplasticity have each emerged as critical, and often sex-differential, contributors to mood disorder vulnerability and treatment response. Advancing precision psychiatry for women requires bringing these mechanisms together into a coherent and informed framework.This Research Topic brings together research on the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying mood disorders in women, with particular focus on epigenetic regulators of neuroplasticity, psychiatric risk genes with sex-differential effects, and the molecular basis of antidepressant and mood-stabilizer response. We welcome preclinical and translational contributions using genetic, molecular, and behavioral approaches that clarify how these mechanisms diverge by sex and how they can be leveraged to improve precision therapeutic strategies.We welcome submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:* Genetic and genomic risk factors underlying sex differences in mood disorder vulnerability* Epigenetic regulation of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis in depression* Neuron-glia interactions in depression pathophysiology and recovery* Gene-environment interactions and their sex-specific behavioral and molecular outcomes* Molecular mechanisms of antidepressant and mood-stabilizer response in women* Hippocampal neurogenesis as a biomarker or mechanism of treatment response* Translational and preclinical models for studying sex-specific molecular pathways in mood disorders* Novel molecular therapeutic targets and precision psychiatry approaches for women’s mental health Topic editors: Melanie P Leussis, Patrícia Patrício, Luisa Pinto Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85236/sex-as-a-biological-variable-in-mood-disorders-molecular-mechanisms-and-therapeutic-targets