# MicroRNAs and suicidality: a systematic review and bioinformatic evaluation

## TL;DR

This study reviews how microRNAs may be linked to suicide risk and identifies specific miRNAs that could help understand and prevent suicide.

## Contribution

The study identifies miR-30a, miR-30e, and miR-218 as consistently dysregulated miRNAs in suicide and suggests their potential as biomarkers.

## Key findings

- Thirteen studies were included, identifying 43 differentially expressed miRNAs in suicidal individuals.
- Three miRNAs—miR-30a, miR-30e, and miR-218—were consistently dysregulated in brain samples from suicide cases.
- Bioinformatic analysis linked these miRNAs to brain-specific pathways relevant to psychiatric biology.

## Abstract

Suicide is a leading global cause of mortality (~800,000 deaths annually) driven by complex biological and environmental determinants; although microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression implicated in psychiatric disorders, their contributions to suicidality-related phenotypes remain incompletely defined.

We searched Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Ovid through July 14, 2025, for human case–control studies comparing individuals with suicidality-related phenotypes to non-suicidal controls. Risk of bias was assessed with the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Differentially expressed miRNAs were compiled and analyzed to identify brain-specific gene targets, followed by pathway and disease enrichment.

Of 1,437 records screened, 13 studies met inclusion criteria, encompassing 285 suicidal participants and 291 controls. Across studies, 43 unique miRNAs showed significant differential expression between cases and controls. Three miRNAs—miR-30a, miR-30e, and miR-218—were consistently dysregulated across brain samples from individuals who died by suicide. Bioinformatic analyses indicated that these miRNAs converge on brain-expressed targets and processes relevant to psychiatric biology. Enrichment highlighted pathways involved in transcriptional regulation, forkhead box O (FoxO) signaling, Ras-associated protein-1 (Rap1) signaling, long-term depression, and dopaminergic synapse function.

miR-30a, miR-30e, and miR-218 emerge as recurrently altered miRNAs in suicide and may serve as mechanistic mediators and candidate biomarkers. Mapping their brain-specific targets and enriched pathways suggests actionable avenues for risk stratification and therapeutic development.

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier PROSPERO CRD42024582398.