Researchers have identified a common genetic basis for eight different psychiatric conditions, including autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. A new study found that these conditions share a set of genes that are active during brain development and can impact multiple stages of brain growth.
According to the study’s lead author, Hyejung Won, the proteins produced by these genes are highly connected to other proteins in the brain. Changes to these proteins could have widespread effects on the brain, making them potential targets for treating multiple conditions.
The study built on previous research that identified 109 genes associated with eight different psychiatric disorders. The researchers then compared the unique genes behind each condition and found shared genetic variants that were involved in many protein-to-protein interactions.
By studying these shared genetic variants in precursor cells that become neurons, the researchers identified 683 genetic variants that impacted gene regulation during brain development. They also explored how these variants affected genes in developing mice brains.
The study’s findings suggest that pleiotropic variants – genetic variants involved in multiple traits or conditions – could hold the key to treating multiple psychiatric disorders with a single therapy. This strategy is particularly useful given the World Health Organization’s estimate that 1 in 8 people (almost 1 billion) live with some form of psychiatric condition.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/several-psychiatric-disorders-share-same-113113119.html