Modeling Gene by Environment Interactions in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Across the Post-Mortem Brain and in hiPSC-Derived Neurons

Genetic studies of PTSD are complicated by the complex interplay between environmental traumatic exposures and genetics. Our previous work identified a PTSD diagnosis-dependent gene expression signature in hiPSC-derived neurons to hydrocortisone (HCort), suggesting an interactive gene by HCort effect. We propose that integrating genomic loci with traumatic exposures across the post-mortem brain and in an in vitro model of stress may elucidate gene by environment interactions that influence PTSD susceptibility.