Khaberni - Researchers have uncovered the existence of a shared genetic basis that links eight different mental disorders, a scientific breakthrough that opens the door to a deeper understanding of the reasons for the intertwining of these disorders and the potential development of shared treatments in the future.
A study published in the journal "Cell" identified specific genetic variants shared among these disorders, explaining their mechanism during brain development stages.
An American research team illustrated that some of these variants remain active for extended periods, potentially affecting more than one stage of brain development, making them possible targets for new treatments that can address several disorders simultaneously.
Heejung Won, a genetics researcher at the University of North Carolina, said that the proteins resulting from these genes are closely linked to other proteins within the brain, explaining that any changes to them could extend their effects across a wide network of neural processes, leading to comprehensive impacts on brain functions.
In 2019, an international team identified 109 genes linked to eight mental disorders, including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anorexia nervosa.
This discovery helps explain why these disorders coincide in many individuals, indicating that up to 70% of people with autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder suffer from both disorders simultaneously, as well as explaining the recurrent appearance of these conditions within the same families.
Although each of these disorders has its unique genetic traits, the researchers compared the unique genes and those shared, through a study of about 18,000 types of genetic variants, introduced into precursor cells that later become neuronal cells, aiming to trace their impact on genetic expression during human developmental stages.
The experiments resulted in identifying 683 genetic variants that affect gene regulation, which were further tested in the neurons of developing mice; this allowed a more precise understanding of their role in brain development.
Scientists refer to the genetic variants capable of affecting more than one trait or disease as "pleiotropic variants," and it turns out that they participate in broader protein interactions and are active in multiple types of brain cells compared to variants specific to each disorder.
These variants are also linked to regulatory mechanisms that influence more than one development stage of the brain, which explains their contribution to various mental illnesses.
