Genetic risk variants linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and anorexia nervosa

Researchers analyzing the AKAP11 gene found a strong correlation between its variants and bipolar I disorder and a moderate correlation with schizophrenia in the Canadian population. Logistic regression and chi‑square tests indicated that high‑risk AKAP11 variants are shared between the two conditions, with males under 30 and females aged 50‑55 identified as the most vulnerable groups.

In a separate study, scientists used targeted Oxford Nanopore sequencing to examine eight anorexia nervosa risk loci in ten Australian cases. The approach achieved an average coverage of 14.6× across 200 kb regions and highlighted 20 prioritized non‑coding variants, including a polymorphic SVA‑D element near IP6K2/PRKAR2A and a poly‑T short tandem repeat in the FOXP1 3′UTR, suggesting possible functional relevance to the disorder.