Scottish scientists say they've identified two genes that contribute to the development of schizophrenia. David Porteous and his team at the Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh discovered the genes after 30 years of studying a Scottish family that has been plagued by schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. The results of their study were published this month in the journal Human Molecular Genetics . The researchers found that most of the family members shared two damaged genes located on the first chromosome of a human being's 23 pairs. While this latest discovery is considered promising, the research on the genetics of schizophrenia is far from over, and the hunt for other culpable genes is still on.
Schizophrenia generally manifests itself during late adolescence or early adulthood.
Experts say the disease afflicts about 1 percent of the population in the United States and Canada, and is the second-most common mental illness after depression. Wired Digital Inc. All rights reserved.