Researchers have shown for the first time that Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and schizophrenia have a shared genetic origin, indicating that the causes of these diverse conditions are biologically linked. The work has just been published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications.
By analyzing the genetic profiles of almost 13,000 ALS/MND cases and over 30,000 schizophrenia cases, the research led by scientists from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland confirms that many of the genes that are associated with these two very different conditions are the same.
It means a lot @MeghillaGorilla1, since once the genetic origin of the disease is understood,
it opens the door for gene therapy.
In order to do gene therapy you have to know what to repair.
That’s beyond my reach of understanding, but as far as I know they don’t use that technique for anything yet. I have to be honest it sounds like science fiction,
Is it a real thing?
Do you know that a skyscraper in Dubai is going to be 3D printed?
It also sounds like science fiction, but it can completely solve housing problems.
This “science fiction” is good stuff, and the quicker it comes about the better. @MeghillaGorilla1
A 14% overlap? Am I wrong in saying that seems like an insignificant number.
They still have no cure for ALS and are nowhere close to curing it. My 5th grade teacher’s father got ALS, he is likely dead by now. A little girl who went to my elementary school got ALS as well, she died and they have a plaque for her on the school lawn.
I wish more focus was being placed on finding out what is wrong in a psychotic brain, not just the genetics which lead to the disease. Genetics are not currently well understood, so discoveries concerning genes will typically not lead to any therapies.
Its nice to know that research is being done in this condition, but I still feel like their efforts might not be in the right areas.
How were the first neuroleptics discovered? Just trial and error. Trying new medications is what we need to be doing.
More research on actively psychotic brains would certainly help. Understanding the genetic underpinnings of the disease should help with prevention and planning for families with children. But it definitely won’t lead to side effect free, more effective solutions for people who are ill and suffering now and who have been doing so for years.
Abortion opens up a whole new can of worms. I don’t want to start arguing those ethics because everyone is either on one side or the other. When I say planning for families that could mean many things, like understanding what the risks are of passing sz on based on your genetics and family history and planning accordingly. Not aborting babies. This might strike you as negative but sz is a death sentence for like 10 percent of those diagnosed who commit suicide. That is a big figure. And we also accrue many years of disability, some of our medications can be a financial strain on our families, don’t even get me started on the price of hospital stays. Combined with a lower life expectancy than normal healthy people sz steals many valuable productive years of people’s lives by disabling them. Almost like a minor death in a way.
Depression causes suicide. Hell, life causes suicide! (Many people kill themselves without having mental illness at all.) I fit two statistical categories for suicide (SZ and not having a college degree), but I will try my hardest to not kill myself.
Many people see no other way out of their suffering. It is really depressing to think about. I have been in that state before, suffering constant depression and dysphoria and being bombarded with positive symptoms. I might have ended up as just another statistic if I hadn’t tried a new medication and recovered from many of my symptoms. People are more than just numbers in an equation, we should always remember that. I am no longer suicidal and would like to keep it that way.
You are introducing the matter of abortion, but technology can SOLVE abortion!
You see, suppose that a fetus, an incredibly immature fetus, is able to survive in lab conditions( in an incubator)
And suppose the mother doesn’t want the pregnancy.
Very well, in that case you can take the fetus out of the mother and grow him in an extracorporeal manner.
This seems much better than eliminating the fetus.
This is just an idea I have.
I’m not sure how many years off that technology is. But overpopulation is going to become an issue in many developing countries in the next couple of decades. The best thing is prevention, preventing unwanted pregnancies altogether. As @metime has said educate mothers, get them into the work force and promote family planning.
As for growing children outside the womb, it may be a few years off. But I think it will be a great medical accomplishment.
I am sorry @eduvigis but you write silly things.
You write that sz is a death sentence for like 10 percent who commit suicide.
Well, I guarantee you that sz is not a death sentence.
Some people choose to end their lives.
The percentage of people choosing to end their lives is somewhat higher among schizophrenics.
But sz is certainly not a death sentence for anybody, although it does make life difficult and unpleasant.
That figure might be a bit dated but it is something I keep hearing. Around 10% commit suicide. That is significantly higher than the general population. I have been suicidal in the past my self. I think the highest risk is younger men who have just returned home from the hospital…
Many on this forum talk about attempts. Attempts are extremely common.