Scientists identify mutation behind resistance to new schizophrenia treatments

Researchers in Australia have discovered a rare genetic mutation that could explain why some people do not respond to newer schizophrenia treatments.



The study, published in Genomic Psychiatry, reveals that an inherited change in the brain can completely block the function of the trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1), a receptor targeted by newer schizophrenia drugs making them ineffective, this according to a statement from Australia's Flinders University.



Whilst TAAR1-based therapies have emerged as a leading alternative medication for treating schizophrenia, people with this mutation are unlikely to benefit from them, said the study's principal investigator Pramod Nair, senior research fellow at Flinders University.



The study focused on a rare TAAR1 genetic variant, or mutation, known as C182F, which prevents the receptor from functioning by causing it to fold in on itself, blocking the site where drugs and natural molecules would normally bind.