An international study led by the University of Exeter Medical School has made advances in understanding the ways in which genetic risk factors alter gene function in schizophrenia.
The team focused on both the underlying genetic sequence and DNA methylation - an epigenetic mark which regulates both gene expression and function. By profiling genetic and regulatory variation in the same samples, the group found that many of the genetic variants previously found to be associated with schizophrenia have potential effects on gene regulation. The team also identified epigenetic changes in 26 of 105 regions of the genome previously implicated in schizophrenia, prioritising specific genes for further functional studies and as potential targets for novel treatments.
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