Genetic Marker For Disorder Found

A team including researchers from Harvard Medical School have discovered a genetic marker for schizophrenia, according to a paper published Tuesday in the journal Molecular Psychology.

The data was collected using Whole Genome Association (WGA)—a new technology that allowed the scientists to study all the possible variations of each gene, rather than just one or two at a time.

“WGA permits us to examine 500,000 SNPs [genetic variations] across the entire genome in a single test,” said Todd Lencz, the first author of the study.

The discovery was a joint initiative between the Medical School and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.

Lencz, a Feinstein researcher, credited the Harvard team with using the new technology to collect the data.

“Harvard has been at the cutting edge of the application of this WGA technology, and had primary responsibility over producing high-quality genetic data using this very complicated and sensitive equipment,” he wrote in an e-mail.

Schizophrenia is a disorder known to cause hallucinations, distorted thinking, and a reduced emotional response, according to Anil Malhotra, also of the Feinstein Institute and a senior investigator in the study.

The symptoms usually appear during the late teens and early 20s, he said, making the discovery especially pertinent to college students.

According to Paul Barreira, director of Behavioral Health and Academic Counseling at the Bureau of Study Counsel, five Harvard undergraduates were diagnosed with schizophrenia by University Health Services during the last academic year.

Barreira speculated that young people diagnosed as schizophrenic in high school are less likely to come to Harvard.

“If anything, Harvard should have less rather than more cases of schizophrenia,” he said.

The researchers said that it is still unclear how the gene affects the development of schizophrenia.

“The next step is to replicate this discovery in another study. If we get the same results, then we’ll hone down to see what the gene is doing biologically,” Malhotra said.

Lencz said that the team’s discovery could lead to a medical treatment for the condition in the future.

“We hope that in the long run, our research will lead to earlier identification of individuals at risk for schizophrenia, and more effective treatments for those who develop this devastating disorder,” he said.

Barreira, however, expressed doubt about how effective a biological treatment for the disorder could be, claiming social factors have a stronger influence.