Genes found for schizophrenia: LONDON
31 / 07 / 2008
International researchers have identified three new DNA variations that increase the risk of schizophrenia
Source: The Peninsula 29 Luly 2008
International researchers have identified three new DNA variations that increase the risk of schizophrenia and said yesterday they were some of the strongest genetic links yet found to the disease. The results published in two independent studies in the journal Nature also confirmed a previously known genetic variation and could lead to new treatments for the condition that affects around 1 in 100 people, the researchers said.
This is, if you like, the beginning of a new era in the field, said David St. Clair, a psychiatrist at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland who worked on both studies. “Once we understand what the mutations are doing, new drugs and new approaches like preventative measures can be developed. It opens up the way to new methods for classifying and diagnosing people with the illness.
Schizophrenia, characterised by hallucinations, delusions and disordered thinking, is far more common in men than in women and is usually diagnosed in late adolescence or early adulthood.
31 / 07 / 2008 | |
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