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2016/2/18

Identified optical risk genotype for schizophrenia medication Fujita Health University and others

University Journal Online Editorial Department

　A research team consisting of Professor Nakao Iwata of the Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Fujita University of Health Sciences, Associate Professor Ryota Hashimoto of the United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, and Group Director Yasumasa Kabata of the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research has been working on schizophrenia through genome analysis. We have identified the types of genes that are likely to cause clozapine-induced agranulocytosis and schizophrenia, which are serious side effects of therapeutic agents.

　The estimated number of patients with schizophrenia is 80 in Japan, of which 20 to 30% are patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia whose improvement is not observed with general antipsychotic drugs, and clozapine is the only effective drug. It has been with.However, as a side effect, the incidence of a serious condition called clozapine-induced agranulocytosis, in which the number of granulocytes, a type of white blood cell, decreases sharply is 1 to 2%, and the current situation is that it is hardly widespread.

　The research team analyzed the whole genome (genetic information) of 50 patients who lost or decreased granulocytes due to the side effects of clozapine and 2905 healthy subjects.As a result, a type that increases the risk of serious side effects by about 10 times was identified from among tens of thousands of leukocyte genes.

　Clinical trials of medication treatment combined with genetic testing are scheduled to start in 2016, but in the future, clinical research will be advanced based on the results of this research, and it will be identified this time by accumulating scientific evidence. There is a possibility that the new genotype can be clinically applied as a marker for predicting the onset.In addition, functional analysis of this genotype may be useful not only for safer medication but also for elucidating the pathophysiology of clozapine-induced agranulocytosis and granulocytopenia, and for developing new drugs. Expected.

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University Journal Online Editorial Department

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