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Research organizations and Universities such as the McDonnel Genetics institute and The Department of Psychiatry from the University Of Iowa Carver College Of Medicine have identified a causational relationship between individuals whom exhibit suicidal behaviors and a mutation in the SAT1 gene. If this is true, the abnormality has influenced in the suicidal tendencies of over 1.3 million people with attempted suicides and deaths reported around 40,000 per year (citation). This single mutation could be an explanation for the tendency and actuation of suicidal thoughts and its corresponding actions.

In a 2015 the article, “Association between the SAT-1 Gene and Suicidal Behavior in Mexican Population,” several researches attempted to prove the correlation between SAT1 mutations and suicidal behavior. In one experiment, patients in a Mexican population were evaluated and diagnosed by professional psychologists- excluding patients with suicide attempts and self-injury. No significant correlation was observed between cases and comparison group for specific allele frequency. However, a significant correlation between suicidal behaviors was observed in the male group for specific allele distribution and not in the female group.

Recent research shows that altered polyamine system does likely correlate to increased risk of mood disorders and suicide. Since spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SAT1) regulates cellular polyamine content, when it is under-expressed in brains, the person is most likely a suicide victim rather than a control. In vitro lithium treatment was injected in four groups of patients with varying levels of suicidal tendencies to test the effects. Results show that this raised the expression of the SAT1 in all living patients. SAT1 transcription, altered by lithium in patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder, reacts with polyamines affected by SAT1 their risk of suicide with significant statistical correlation.

In another 2015 article published by Robert J. Norman “Identification of the SAT1 Gene as a Potential Biomarker for the Prediction of Suicide in Patients Suffering from Mood Disorders,” detailed the research behind individuals inclination to suicide on a global scale, the SAT1 gene, and the necessity for research in the correlation between the two.. His research featured four studies that analyzed the deaths of several suicide victims as well as subjects who died of natural causes. All of the suicide victims showed a significantly altered SAT1 genes in comparison to the control subjects who died of natural occurrences. The frequency of the genetic mutation in the suicide victims lead him to believe that it was indeed the variation of the SAT1 gene that ultimately allowed for the habits of self-harm and suicidal tendencies in each case. Normal concluded his piece by acknowledging that his research is inconclusive due to the lack of research done on SAT1 and its like to suicidal behaviors and encourages his fellow genetics and members of the scientific community to join in the effort to research and one day find a solution to the mutation.