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Researchers from King's College London discovered a genetic connection between ancient viral DNA sequences and mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression.

The study, partly funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), delved into the role of Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) in psychiatric disorder susceptibility.

Dr. Timothy Powell, co-senior author of the study and Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, explained the significance of the findings, stating, "Our results suggest that these viral sequences probably play a more important role in the human brain than originally thought, with specific HERV expression profiles being associated with an increased susceptibility for some psychiatric disorders."

The research published in Nature Communications, which analyzed data from large genetic studies involving tens of thousands of individuals, alongside autopsy brain samples from 800 individuals, uncovered five robust HERV expression signatures linked to psychiatric disorders. These include sequences associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.

Dr. Rodrigo Duarte, first author and Research Fellow at the IoPPN, King's College London, noted the study's contribution to understanding the genetic basis of psychiatric disorders.

"Whilst it is not clear yet how these HERVs affect brain cells to confer this increase in risk, our findings suggest that their expression regulation is important for brain function," Duarte explained, as per Neuroscience News.

Dr. Douglas Nixon, co-senior author and researcher at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, also highlighted the need for further research into the function of HERVs.

"We think that a better understanding of these ancient viruses, and the known genes implicated in psychiatric disorders, have the potential to revolutionise mental health research and lead to novel ways to treat or diagnose these conditions," Nixon said.