Zebrafish study helps shed light on autism, schizophrenia and obesity

Human gene isolation in zebrafish may help shed light on autism, says a new study.

Researchers at Duke University inserted a set of human genes into a zebrafish and then used it to identify genes responsible for head size at birth.

The size of a baby's head is often related to conditions such as autism and schizophrenia, said Medical XPress.

"In medical research, we need to dissect events in biology so we can understand the precise mechanisms that give rise to neurodevelopmental traits," said one study author Nicholas Katsanis, of Duke University, reported Science Codex.

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"We need expert scientists to work side by side with clinicians who see such anatomic and other problems in patients, if we are to effectively solve many of our medical problems."

The researchers were able to find the gene in zebrafish that controls head size and subsequently find the analagous gene in humans.

The hope is to find the genetic cause of psychiatric diseases like autism as well as obesity.

"This gene contributes to autism cases, and probably is associated with schizophrenia and also childhood obesity," Katsanis said, according to Science Daily.

Autism affects about 1 in 88 children in the United States.

The study was published online in the journal Nature.