Placenta Plays Role in Schizophrenia Risk

The placenta, a key organ in supporting prenatal development, appears to play a more substantial role in the development of schizophrenia than previously recognized. 

According to a study published online in the journal Nature Communications, researchers have identified more than 100 genes that contribute to schizophrenia risk through their impact on the placenta and not the developing brain. Those genes are expressed at lower levels in specific placental cells called trophoblasts, which are responsible for the maternal-fetal nutrient exchange. Consequently, the placenta’s ability to nurture the developing fetus is hampered, the research team explained, potentially contributing to the development of schizophrenia. 

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The study also identified genes within the placenta that play a causal role in other disorders, including diabetes, bipolar disorder, depression, autism, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the number of genetic associations with schizophrenia were higher, the study found, suggesting genetic factors contributing to schizophrenia may have a stronger influence in the placenta.

In another study finding, a small sample of placentas from mothers who had contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy showed significant activation of schizophrenia risk genes, suggesting COVID-19 infection during pregnancy may serve as an environmental risk factor for schizophrenia. Researchers are continuing to examine placentas affected by COVID-19 to gain a better understanding of its potential relationship with the development of schizophrenia.

“In conclusion,” researchers wrote, “our findings, while not detracting from the importance of gene expression in brain for schizophrenia risk, reveal a larger picture that includes placenta: both placenta and brain might contribute to early and reversible trajectories of risk for the disorder, but most research on brain development has been exclusively focused on the brain. Neglecting the investigation of placental mechanisms of risk may miss relevant opportunities for prevention.”

References

Ursini G, Di Carlo P, Mukherjee S, et al. Prioritization of potential causative genes for schizophrenia in placenta. Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):2613. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38140-1

New study finds the placenta, not only the brain, plays a central role in genetic risk of schizophrenia. News release. Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Maltz Research Laboratories; May 15, 2023. Accessed August 18, 2023.