Researchers in University of Edinburgh had carried out a study which found that some genes are responsible for mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This enabled them to understand more about the genetics of various mental illnesses.
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder whereby a person would have abnormalities in perception or expression of reality. Having found a gene that plays an important role in the development of these mental illnesses is really good news.
The study had found that gene DISC1 plays a part in development of the mental illnesses and may take control on how some patients respond to the medicines. If some patients with mental illnesses were found to have the gene DISC1 as a primary cause of their illnesses, this would really contribute to the creation of new drugs that would specifically target these patients.
Also, the study had found that gene DISC1 also affects other genes that currently used medicines are made to target. Since it is known that mental illnesses such as schizophrenia have a genetic element and genes like DISC1 plays an important part, this study enables the better understanding of how it affects brain development and also gives hints when things go wrong.
Hopefully this study would give hope to those with these mental illnesses and go a step further to give insight to many genetically-inherited disorders.
Reference
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090319224552.htm
