title: Can epigenetics help in the discovery of therapeutics for psychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia?
abstract: Psychiatric disorders have a heterogeneous biological basis, where environmental factors interplay with non-mendelian genetics to produce complex cognitive/behavioural syndromes such as schizophrenia. Recent findings indicate a proportion of schizophrenia is associated with genomic copy number variation, suggesting that alteration of gene expression levels rather than direct mutation may play a role. Epigenetic mechanisms could be the crucial link between external stimuli and gene expression, influencing schizophrenia risk. These are dynamic reversible systems that offer much promise as targets for future therapies.
authors.affiliation: Reader in Psychiatry University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Division of Psychiatry, EH10 5HF, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Walter J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Muir
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: McKechanie