About Careers MedBlog Contact us
Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Advertisement

New Candidate Genes may Help Understand Schizophrenia

by VR Sreeraman on October 23, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Font : A-A+

 New Candidate Genes may Help Understand Schizophrenia

In a collaborative study, UCLA and Dutch researchers have identified three new candidate genes for schizophrenia that may contribute to a better understanding of how the disease evolves.

For the study, Roel A. Ophoff, an assistant professor with the Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, and his colleagues examined the genetic makeup of 54 Dutch patients diagnosed with deficit schizophrenia, a particularly severe form of the disease that is both chronic and debilitating.

Advertisement

Specifically, they looked at a number of large but rare deletions and duplications in the genome of the patients, known as copy number variants, or CNVs.

Scientists suspect that such missing or duplicated segments of DNA could be responsible for increased susceptibility to a number of diseases.

In this study, the researchers showed that three of these rare CNVs interrupted genes associated with brain function.
Advertisement

"These genes were not implicated in schizophrenia before. So next, we tested these three genes in a large follow-up study of more than 750 general-schizophrenia patients and 700 controls. And what surprised us is that roughly 1 percent of schizophrenia patients harbor these genomic deletions," said Ophoff.

Ophoff said that the changes in these three genes are rare but seem to dramatically increase the risk of developing schizophrenia.

The identification of these new candidate genes will provide a better insight into the underlying biology of schizophrenia and explain why some individuals are at risk to develop the disease.

"Another important step will be to assess the inheritance patterns of such CNVs. Since this is an inherited disease affecting approximately 1 percent of the population, this would be valuable toward establishing the clinical relevance of this important class of genomic variations," Ophoff said.

The study is published in the October issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics.

Source: ANI
LIN/SK
Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recommended Reading

Latest Genetics & Stem Cells News

A Ray of Hope: Adrenal Hyperplasia may Get a Cure Soon
Scientists have developed the first humanized mouse model for a rare hereditary condition.
Placenta Joins the Brain in Determining Genetic Risk of Schizophrenia
A recent study discovered that the placenta, rather than only the brain, is crucial in determining the genetic risk of schizophrenia.
Scientists Discover Gene Responsible for Severe Facial Defects
FOXI3 gene was found to be involved in Goldenhar syndrome, one form of developmental disorder, revealed research.
Beyond the Blueprint: Understanding the Role of Epigenetics
Contrary to previous beliefs, genes may not be fixed and can be influenced by environmental factors and lifestyle choices, according to modern scientific research.
Gene Therapy Shows Promise in Inherited Eye Disease Trials
Gene therapy successfully tested on dogs with inherited eye disease is now poised for clinical use in humans.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
×

New Candidate Genes may Help Understand Schizophrenia Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests