Study finds gene behind schizophrenia, mental illnesses

New Delhi: German researchers have identified a gene that can lead to schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. 

Until now, it was assumed that schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, or depression arise from an interplay of many different factors, including genetic ones.

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Variants of GRIN2A found to trigger multiple psychiatric disorders

The research, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, identified the GRIN2A gene as a key factor. The study demonstrated that changes in GRIN2A can lead to schizophrenia.

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"Our current findings indicate that GRIN2A is the first known gene that, on its own, can cause a mental illness. This distinguishes it from the polygenic causes of such disorders that have been assumed to date," said lead author Professor Johannes Lemke, Director of the Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Leipzig Medical Centre.

In the study, the team analysed data from 121 individuals with a genetic alteration in the GRIN2A gene.

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"We were able to show that certain variants of this gene are associated not only with schizophrenia but also with other mental illnesses,” Lemke said.

Notably, with a GRIN2A alteration, these disorders already appear in childhood or adolescence -- in contrast to the more typical manifestation in adulthood, Lemke added.

In the study, some affected individuals showed exclusively psychiatric symptoms. GRIN2A alterations are otherwise typically associated with conditions like epilepsy or intellectual disability.

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Gene’s impact on NMDA receptor activity explained

The GRIN2A gene plays a central role in regulating the electrical excitability of nerve cells. In the present study, certain variants reduced the activity of the NMDA receptor, a key molecule in brain signaling.

In an initial treatment series, patients showed marked improvements in their psychiatric symptoms following therapy with L-serine -- a dietary supplement that activates the NMDA receptor.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2021, almost one in seven people worldwide was living with a mental illness, with anxiety disorders and depression the most common.

Mental disorders typically have complex causes with a major genetic component. The new study may pave the way for early diagnosis and treatment.

(IANS)