Shared Genetic Basis Found for Eight Psychiatric Conditions

A groundbreaking study published in early 2025 has uncovered a common genetic foundation shared by eight distinct psychiatric disorders. Researchers have identified specific genetic variants among these shared genes that play crucial roles in brain development.

The team of scientists from the United States discovered that many of these genetic variants remain active for extended periods, potentially influencing multiple stages of development in the brain. This finding opens up new possibilities for developing treatments that could target several disorders simultaneously.

According to University of North Carolina geneticist Hyejung Won, who led the study, “The proteins produced by these genes are highly interconnected with other proteins. Changes to these proteins could have far-reaching effects on the brain’s network.”

In a previous study in 2019, an international team identified 109 genes linked in various combinations to autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anorexia. This discovery helps explain why these conditions often co-occur and tend to run in families.

Each of these eight psychiatric conditions also has unique gene differences specific to them. To further investigate, Won and her team compared the unique genes with those shared among the disorders.

They analyzed nearly 18,000 variations of these shared and unique genes in precursor cells that develop into neurons. By studying how these genetic variants impact gene expression during human brain development, the researchers identified 683 variants that affect gene regulation.

These pleiotropic variants, which underlie multiple seemingly unrelated traits or conditions, were found to be involved in a myriad of protein-to-protein interactions and were active across various types of brain cells. They also played a role in regulatory mechanisms that influence multiple stages of brain development.

While pleiotropy has traditionally posed challenges in classifying psychiatric disorders, understanding the genetic basis of this phenomenon could pave the way for developing treatments targeting shared genetic factors. This approach holds promise for treating multiple psychiatric disorders with a common therapy.

Given that nearly 1 in 8 individuals worldwide live with some form of psychiatric condition, the potential impact of this research on treatment strategies is significant.

The study, published in the journal Cell, sheds light on the complex genetic underpinnings of psychiatric disorders and offers hope for more effective and targeted treatments in the future.