# 'Fascinating' and 'provocative' research examines genetic elements of bipolar, schizophrenia

_Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 8:00 AM EDT · Science · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

Research published in September identified eleven genetic regions linked to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, according to studies involving more than 50,000 people worldwide. Seven regions were associated with schizophrenia, five of which were previously undiscovered, and two regions were linked to both illnesses. Pablo Gejman, a lead researcher on the schizophrenia study, told Wikinews in a telephone interview from Buenos Aires that one goal of genetic research is to find druggable targets to treat the root of the problem. He noted calcium-activated neurochemical channels in the brain as candidates for new drugs and said a genetic locus called mir137 suggests an abnormality of gene regulation. Gejman said the findings are not related to anything previously known about schizophrenia and that current treatments target dopamine receptors. Professor Rodney Scott of the University of Newcastle in Australia told Wikinews the research strength lies in the numbers and gives statistical power to identify genetic determinants. Scott said the two common loci suggest there may be a common pathway that bifurcates to give rise to two diseases. Separate research from the University of Oxford and King's College London found mortality rates for schizophrenia and bipolar sufferers in England remained higher than the general population from 1999 to 2006, with three quarters of deaths due to ailments such as heart conditions.

## Sources

- [en.wikinews.org](https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%27Fascinating%27_and_%27provocative%27_research_examines_genetic_elements_of_bipolar%2C_schizophrenia)

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