It appears as if a few errors in a mysterious region of the human genetic code are connected to a slightly increased risk of schizophrenia, according to new studies.
A first of its kind study was conducted as a massive international effort focused on seven spots of genetic variation. The study looked at the genetic elements of schizophrenia. Three papers have been published in the course of the study in the journal Nature, by the many scientists who participated in it. The reports all concur on one point- that genetic blips account for at most one-third of genetically caused schizophrenia.
The study was based on observing identical twins. The researchers found that about half of schizophrenia is inherited. The other half is likely to be caused by other factors.
The most important take-away from this study is that chizophrenia doesn’t have a single genetic cause. It is more like a massive jigsaw puzzle and researchers just found a few end pieces, said Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, which financed much of the work.
Researchers looked at the genomes of more than 50,000 people. Some of these people suffered from schizophrenia, while some did not. Schizophrenia, first described 100 years ago as a split between thought and perception, includes thinking disorders, hallucinations, psychosis and odd behaviors, Insel said.
While the findings of the study are unlikely to have any practical benefits, but they “give us a little bit of insight into the biology of the disease,” said one of the lead authors, Dr. Kari Stefansson, chief executive officer of deCODE Genetics in Iceland.
Stefansson cautioned about seeing too much of a connection with immune disorders: “It’s guilt by association; it’s not really a link.”

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