A team of researchers conducting a comprehensive genome-wide association study of schizophrenia in individuals of African ancestry has recently published results in Nature identifying more than 100 new regions in the human genome linked to schizophrenia that were not previously known.
Schizophrenia occurs in all human populations, yet most genetic studies of the disorder to date have primarily focused on people of European ancestry, said Eric Achtyes, MD, MS, DFAPA, professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed).
This latest study, “Biological insights into schizophrenia from ancestrally diverse populations,” expands scientific understanding of the disorder and reaffirms that while genetic differences may vary by ancestry, schizophrenia affects the same underlying brain systems across populations.
“What we are trying to do is to demystify mental health conditions,” Dr. Achtyes said. “We want to understand mental health conditions the same way that we understand other health conditions, at the cellular and molecular level, so that we can target treatments the way that chemotherapy is used to target specific cancers. This is foundational work to be able to do that.”
Dr. Achtyes, a co-author on the study, said this work is the culmination of many years of data collection, including electronic health records linked with genomic health data from the Million Veterans Program (MVP), a national research program that looks at the effects of genes, lifestyle, military experiences and exposures on the health and wellness of veterans.
The findings, Dr. Achtyes said, serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of including diverse patient populations in medical and genetic research.
“It is not enough to just examine one group,” Dr. Achtyes said. “You really have to sample a broad population to understand the pathophysiologic basis of these complex mental health conditions and better tailor treatments for the amazing and diverse people we serve.”