Going forward, it is important to keep both pros and cons of genetic biomarkers in mind. One of the reasons genetic biomarkers are attractive for psychiatric traits is the fact that samples from in vivo brain tissue, the primary disorder-relevant tissue for a psychiatric illness, is usually inaccessible. Most other “-omics” markers have tissue-specific variation, with peripheral profiles not aligning with those from the brain. Also, in addition to being a more stable marker, presently available technologies for genetic markers have a better analytical validity than other omics assays. On the other hand, information content from a single-molecular layer might be inherently limited (as shown here for genetic predictors with theoretical analyses). In order to build a robust biomarker panel, combining multiple modalities might be necessary. Addressing ethical concerns and potential misuses of genetic information also should be considered48.
