Largest-ever schizophrenia study published reveals genetic links to disease

In the first new landmark study, researchers from the SCHEMA consortium have identified for the first time 10 individuals who carry the extremely rare disease The protein disrupts mutated genes that significantly increase an individual's risk of developing schizophrenia

In a second new study, researchers from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) have also uncovered an unprecedented number of schizophrenia-associated schizophrenia-related findings in the human genome -- the body's DNA blueprint.

Links between 37 human tissues and schizophrenia

The finding was made by a coalition of hundreds of researchers from 45 countries who analysed the DNA of 76,755 people with schizophrenia and 243,649 people without schizophrenia to better understand what's behind schizophrenia Genes and biological processes

While previous studies have shown associations between schizophrenia and many regions of DNA, this is the first time a specific gene has been identified

Schizophrenia is a mental illness with an incidence of about 1 in 300 worldwide

The two new studies were led by the SCHEMA Consortium and the PGC Consortium, the largest ever international collaboration in the field of mental health

The first paper identifies, for the first time, extremely rare protein-disrupting mutations in 10 genes that strongly increase an individual's risk of developing schizophrenia -- in one case, more than 30-fold

The second paper found far more genetic links to schizophrenia than ever before in 287 different regions of the human genome

In addition to being the largest mental health genomics studies to date, the two new studies also included African Americans, Latinos, and European Americans, moving toward greater diversity and inclusion in both participants and scientists Sexual research has taken a step forward

Co-author of the second paper, Professor Elvira Bramon, Head of the Department of Neuroscience Research in Mental Health at UCL, said: "While we have effective pharmacological and psychological interventions for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, many people experience side effects, Or their symptoms are only partially improved, which affects their physical health, well-being, or even longevity

In a third new study, researchers from the Bipolar Exome Consortium (BEC) identified AKAP11 as a risk gene for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia through exome sequencing

Co-author of the third paper, Dr Nick Bass, from the UCL Department of Psychiatry, said: "We found increasing evidence of genetic overlap and genetic overlap between the two disorders and other common disorders such as depression.

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Specific genes involved in schizophrenia identified for the first time

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