Ireland has become a world player in the study of the genetic causes for mental illness. Discoveries made in this field have the potential to deliver new treatments and better diagnosis of these diseases, according to a leading academic researcher.
"The field is extremely exciting at the moment," according to the holder of Trinity College Dublin's chair of psychiatry, Prof Michael Gill. "We rank amongst a number of international groups working in this area and being recognised in the field."
Prof Gill was speaking yesterday in advance of his inaugural lecture as holder of the chair, which took place last night. The title of his talk was: "Molecules and Mental Illness - A project for Scientific Psychology".
There is a huge international effort under way to discover the malfunctioning genes that lead to mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, autism and attention deficit hyperactive disorder, Prof Gill said.
He heads Trinity's Neuropsychiatric Genetics Research Group and as holder of the chair is head of the discipline of psychiatry within the college's school of medicine. "The main role of the group is to find the genes involved in mental illness so we can gain insights into the biological factors behind these conditions," he stated.
The group currently leads key parts of a 14-centre international study called the Global Autism Genome Project, work that has recently attracted financial support worth €12 million. Of this, €5 million came from the Health Research Board and €7 million from other international sources including mental health charities in the US.
Pinpointing the genes responsible is a huge challenge. Mental illnesses usually involve a collection of malfunctioning genes, Prof Gill said. "The disorders are also highly familial but the familial aspect may be due to shared genes or a shared environment."
Great benefits for patients would arise if the genes responsible could be identified, he added. It could lead to the possibility of specific and targeted treatments designed to match the patient's own genes.
"There is also the possibility of earlier identification of the disease involved."
The autism study is the group's largest project and is only just getting under way, he said. "It is highly collaborative within various Trinity faculties and also international groups. All of our studies have international components," Prof Gill said.