Overview
- Published in Nature and led by Texas A&M collaborators, the analysis used GWAS and genetic-correlation methods to quantify overlapping genetic risk across global datasets.
- The disorders coalesced into five genetic groupings: substance-use, internalizing (depression, anxiety, PTSD), neurodevelopmental (autism, ADHD), compulsive (OCD, anorexia, Tourette), and a schizophrenia–bipolar cluster.
- Scientists identified 238 shared genetic differences and a Chromosome 11 hotspot influencing eight disorders, including variants near DRD2, a key dopamine receptor targeted by antipsychotics.
- Cluster-specific biology emerged, with schizophrenia–bipolar linked to excitatory “go” neurons and internalizing disorders tied to cells that speed signal conduction, while complementary experiments show pleiotropic variants act across multiple brain cell types and developmental stages.
- Experts say the findings illuminate why conditions co-occur and may guide treatments targeting shared biology, yet they caution that genetics indicate probabilistic risk, datasets remain Eurocentric, and clinical applications are not immediate.