Volume 29, Issue 163, September 2025

Molecular Signatures of Bipolar Disorder: A Review of Genetic and Epigenetic Evidence

Strzałkowska Antonina^1♦, Czyż Paweł², Janowski Maciej¹, Górska Marta¹, Górski Jakub³

¹Central Teaching Hospital of Medical University of Lodz, Pomorska 251, 92-213, Lodz, Poland
²Szpital Miejski im. Św. Wincentego a Paulo w Gdyni, ul.Wójta Radtkego 18 Gdynia, Poland
³Medical University of Lodz, Pomorska 251, 92-213, Lodz, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Antonina Strzałkowska, Central Teaching Hospital of Medical University of Lodz, Pomorska 251, 92-213, Lodz, Poland

ABSTRACT

Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a chronic psychiatric condition characterised by episodic shifts between depressive and manic states. BD has a highly polygenic architecture, which contributes to its substantial heritability and clinical variability. The disorder also shares genetic susceptibility with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD). Besides inherited risk, epigenetic processes—such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs—mediate gene–environment interactions, influencing disease onset and progression. This review assesses the potential of genetic and epigenetic markers to guide subtype-specific treatment in BD, discusses present limitations, and proposes practical recommendations for future research to support clinical implementation.

Keywords: bipolar disorder, genetic markers, epigenetics, psychiatric genomics, biomarkers

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e159ms3704

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i163.e159ms3704

Published: 09 September 2025