December 12, 2009
Those who suffer from bipolar disorder are continuously cycling through bouts of mania and depression that affects them the rest of their lives.
Determining what causes bipolar 1 disorder sickness has long been the focus of many studies. But scientist may finally be getting closer to the crux of the problem.
For years, scientists have suspected a link between genes and manic depression. But there has been no peer studies to prove their point. But recent research points specifically to two genes that appear to play a dominant role in determining a person’s risk for developing manic depression.
If the discovery turns out to be true, it may potentially lead to a whole host of new and better treatments to combat the disorder.
The two genes causing all of the symptoms of manic depression are the ANK3 and CACNA1C genes. The ANK3 gene is located on chromosome 10 at position q21. The CACNA1C gene is important in the production of the calcium channels which are found in many cells and are especially critical to the functioning of the heart and brain cells.
Moreover, it’s known that the proteins created by these genes indirectly influences the activity in the nerve cells of the brain by controlling the flow of sodium and calcium in the brain.
And now that the researchers have a big clue as to the genes causing this disorder, they can begin to work on treatments that target the gene directly.
Please see Julie’s website for more articles regarding bipolar disorder test results.
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