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Schizophrenia: there ARE correlations with genes

There's no diagnostic test, there's no method of treatment, there's no known biological mechanism, but there are correlations between some identified genes and the risk of schizophrenia.

This is what the director of the NIH said recently:

"Today, we lack a diagnostic test or a strategy for preventing schizophrenia. This situation is similar to cardiovascular disease 30 years ago in that we see schizophrenic patients only after their first episode equivalent to a "heart attack," and we do not have the equivalent of cholesterol level as an identifiable risk factor.

However, what we have done recently — and what holds great promise for those who are suffering — is identify 12 genes associated with risk. Our challenge now is to move from the discovery of those genes-most of which have no known function-to understanding the role these genes play in the onset and progression of this brain disease-and doing something about it.

Our hope is to use these genes to identify what is abnormal in the brains of schizophrenics, identify it early and thus provide the psychiatric diagnostic equivalent of serum cholesterol level. To accomplish this, we must study the protein products of these genes by using molecular tools that can make their function transparent."

by a reader on Thu, 02/24/2005 - 18:09

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