Institute to map schizophrenia disorder gene

Saturday, November 4, 2006
Institute to Map Disorder
By Raam Wong
Albuquerque Journal Staff Writer

Sen. Pete Domenici, R-NM, visited a Santa Fe research institute Friday where scientists hope to unlock the genetic code to one of mankind's most baffling mental disorders.

Research into the genetic causes of schizophrenia represents an expansion of the National Center for Genome Resources' mission.

The center was founded in 1994 as a place to store, analyze and distribute the Los Alamos National Laboratory's sequencing of the human genome.

Now, the institute off Rodeo Road is getting into the gene-mapping business, with an infusion of state and federal dollars toward the purchase a refrigerator-sized sequencing machine that will help researchers study the biological roots of schizophrenia.

The Schizophrenia Genome Project will combine the genetic expertise of the Santa Fe institute with the neuro-imaging capabilities of the Albuquerque-based Mental Illness and Neuroscience Discovery Institute.

Neuroimaging experts have known for some time that the brains of schizophrenic patients are often shaped and perform differently than regular brains. The same could be true for their genes, said Genome Resources President Stephen Kingsmore.

Investigators plan to identify possible schizophrenia genes by sequencing and analyzing the genetic code of affected individuals.

The cost and speed of sequencing a human genome has improved significantly in recent years.

It took the center about a week to map the genome of three family members diagnosed with schizophrenia. Five years ago, that work would have taken a year to complete, officials said.

"We are learning more every day about genetic codes, and now I am pleased that we've reached a point where that knowledge may lead to cures to diseases that have baffled us for years," Domenici said.