23/11/2025
Curiosity aroused…
Major Discovery: Shared Genes Behind Multiple Mental Health Disorders 🧬🧠
Scientists have uncovered hundreds of shared genetic variants linked to autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, Tourette syndrome, OCD, and anorexia.
Researchers identified 683 genes that influence key stages of brain development, revealing why many of these conditions often appear together in individuals and families. These variants affect multiple brain-growth processes and interact through complex protein networks. 
This breakthrough challenges the idea that each disorder is entirely separate. Instead, it suggests many mental health conditions may be rooted in overlapping genetic pathways — raising the possibility that future treatments could target several disorders at once.
With nearly 1 billion people worldwide affected by mental health challenges, this research marks a major step toward more effective, genetically-informed therapies.
🔗 Source: Cell (2025) — “Eight Psychiatric Disorders Share the Same Genetic Causes, Study Says”
Lee, S., McAfee, J. C., Lee, J., Gomez, A., Ledford, A. T., Clarke, D. … Won, H. (2025). Massively parallel reporter assay investigates shared genetic variants of eight psychiatric disorders. Cell, 188(5), 1409–1424.e21.
PMID: 39848247