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Rare gene glitch may hold clues for schizophrenia – 2
Narrator: This is NIH Health Matters. I’m Joe Balintfy. Scientists have identified a rare genetic glitch that could help improve treatments for schizophrenia. Dr. Jonathan Sebat at the University of California San Diego led a study team that found mutations in a gene that controls part of the system for a brain chemical called a neuropeptide.
Sebat: Neuropeptides are interesting because they affect neurons, help to regulate gene expression, blood flow, and the formation of synapses, for example.
Narrator: A neuropeptide acts as a chemical messenger in the brain.
Sebat: Our findings established a link between the neuropeptide receptor VIPR2 and schizophrenia.
Narrator: For more information on the VIPR2 gene and schizophrenia, visit www.nimh.nih.gov. Health Matters is produced by the National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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