Genetic risk factor for Bipolar disorder

[Nomad]

Im rushing and wanted to get this here somewhere fast….When our adopted special needs adult child found her birth family, she discovered both her parents suffered from mental illness like herself and many in the families with Bipolar disorder.

Sorry I don’t have a link.

It was I think on yahoo today. From neuroscience news.com

Headline said :
Researchers Find First Strong Genetic risk Factor for Bipolar Disorder

This is just a little of article:

“Led by scientists at the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard who collaborated with colleagues around the globe, the effort pinpoints a gene called AKAP11 as a strong risk factor for both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

The findings may provide clues to how lithium works, as the AKAP-11 protein is known to interact with a molecular pathway modified by the drug. While many common genetic variants of small effects have been discovered, AKAP11 is the first gene found to have a large effect on bipolar disorder risk.

This result has already kicked off new research at the Broad to further study the disorder in cells and animals, with a focus on molecular mechanisms that can in turn lead to identification of biomarkers to match patients with treatments and develop novel therapies.”

 

[Mirabelle]

This certainly resonates with me. My stepson's mom has a significant family history of bipolar, along with a sprinkling of borderline personality and schizophrenia. My husband has done some research on his side and has found no history of anything significant. These research findings give us hope that one day there may be real hope for our son to get better and stay better.

We are both very thankful that his daughter seems to have escaped this legacy. She has the internal drive and motivation to work hard and keep moving her life in the direction she wants to go in. She is sunny and stable; her personality and moods do not turn on a dime at all. If two had been afflicted I don't think my husband could bear it.

Very interesting to read. Thank you for sharing.

 

[susiestar]

Thanks for sharing this. I will share it with Wiz. It may be helpful. I will also share it with my niece, who has a lot of bipolar in her mother's family.