New findings from a study shed light on the aspects of bipolar disorder by examining information from more than 41,000 individuals diagnosed with the illness. The study was featured in Nature Genetics and led by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. It pinpointed 64 markers associated with the disorder which is twice as many, as previous research had uncovered.
Through a method known as genome association study (GWAS) the scientists discovered that 33 of these sites had not been previously connected to bipolar disorder. Intriguingly a few of these sites were related to system functionality. They even shared common ground with genetic indicators linked to other mental health disorders such, as schizophrenia and depression.
The research also delved into the variances, between I and bipolar II disorders and observed that bipolar I showed greater genetic similarities with schizophrenia whereas bipolar II was more associated with depression tendencies. Several of the genes identified are already being targeted by medications prescribed for managing disorders in use. This finding could potentially pave the way for improved treatment options in the future.
I believe that due to the sample size in this research project, the progress made in comprehending disorder on a genetic level is significant and paves the way for possible future treatments.
Reference: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5548848/
Reference 2: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43586-021-00056-9
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