Researchers from a multinational collaborative effort have identified genes and pathways related to the risk of developing schizophrenia. Researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Canada (CAMH) identified more than 100 locations in the human genome that are linked to an increased risk of developing schizophrenia.

The discovery may help create new approaches to treatment of the disorder, which has had minimal gains in drug development over the past 60 years. This is due in part to the fact that existing medications only treat the symptoms, rather than the underlying cause, and because the biological mechanisms behind the disorder are not well understood.

New evidence from recent research suggests that the disorder stems from the combined effects of numerous genes, and that nearly 24 genomic regions appear to be linked to schizophrenia.

Senior scientist Dr. Jo Knight and Joanne Murphy, professor in behavioral science, said in a statement, “Large collaborative efforts such as this one are needed to identify genes that influence complex disorders.” Knight stated, “The result is a major advance in understanding the genetic basis of brain functioning in schizophrenia.”

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, schizophrenia is defined as a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that may cause affected individuals to hear voices that others don’t, believe that other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or setting out to harm them.