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Scientists have identified a gene that they believe is directly related to schizophrenia is an important development after 18 years of extensive research on the brain and genetics.
A team of Australian and Indian scientists has studied the DNA of more than 3,000 Indians in an effort to uncover the causes of schizophrenia and potential treatments. They discovered that people with the disease were more likely to have a variant of the gene called NAPRT1, which encodes an enzyme involved in the metabolism of vitamin B3.
"We have also been able to find this gene in a large set of genomic data of schizophrenic patients of European descent",said Bryan Mowry of the University of Queensland.
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Similar studies have been conducted on populations of largely European origin and more than 100 variants associated with schizophrenia have been identified. Scientists want to watch other people for "Highlighting different parts of the genome with a more robust association with the disease", Mowry said.
When the team "Stunned" the NAPRT1 gene in zebrafish, they discovered that its brain development was impaired and they are working to find out more about how the gene works in the brain.
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"The zebrafish brain has failed to divide symmetrically, which is important because MRI studies in people with schizophrenia have shown defects in the corpus callosum, the bridge between the left and right sides of the brain ยป Mowry explained.
Scientists hope that their studies will learn more about what makes people susceptible to schizophrenia and contribute to potential future treatments.
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