Genetically determined levels of inflammation linked to neuropsychiatric disorders

The study, published today (March 30, 2022) in JAMA Psychiatry, may be of particular relevance to neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders including autism spectrum and schizophrenia

The findings, the researchers say, could open up a whole new target for the drug treatment of these disorders, which have not changed significantly since antipsychotic drugs were identified in the mid-to-late 20th century

The research was carried out by a team from the University of Cambridge's Institute of Mental Health, Cancer and Genome Sciences, with collaborators including the Universities of Cambridge, Manchester and Bristol

Using records from the UK Biobank, a large biomedical database, the team was able to compare genetic variants affecting IL-6 levels with other inflammatory genes in more than 20,000 patients with changes in gray matter volume in specific regions of the brain

They were able to show a strong connection between IL-6 and brain structure, particularly in the temporal and frontal regions

Professor Rachel Upthegrove from the University's Institute of Mental Health is the senior author of the paper

Dr John Williams, from the University's Institute for Cancer and Genomic Sciences at the University and lead author of the paper, said: "Current therapeutic effects on these diseases For dopamine, it is a chemical messenger in the brain related to mood and attention

"There are already drugs on the market that target inflammation, as well as the opportunity to screen potential new compounds

The work is part of the PIMS (Stratified Medical Research into Immune Mechanisms of Mental Illness) project, led by the University of Birmingham, to investigate the link between inflammation and mental illness

Journal Reference :

1. John A.