Altered gene increases schizophrenia risk

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., April 9 (UPI) -- U.S. geneticists say they've identified a specific DNA change that is likely to increase the risk of some people developing schizophrenia.

The researchers, led by Rutgers University Professor Linda Brzustowicz, said the gene, NOS1AP (previously known as CAPON) provides a potential mechanism that might be a point of entry for drug therapy, consistent with the growing trend of personalized medicine.

Brzustowicz, a psychiatrist, said the research has demonstrated a functional DNA change that increases gene expression. That conclusion is based on its presence in the genes of a Canadian study population of 24 families in which multiple individuals were diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The paper also presents an innovative statistical method, Posterior Probability of Linkage Disequilibrium, by study co-author Veronica Vieland of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. The analytical technique quantifies the statistical evidence for association, in this case between the altered gene and schizophrenia.

Brzustowicz said she and her team will now look at the altered gene's frequency in DNA samples from the National Institute of Mental Health collection of cell lines that include samples drawn from large populations of Asian, Caucasian, African American and Hispanic individuals with schizophrenia.