Scientists Identify 36 Genes Linked to OCD and Tourettes

For families watching their children struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder or Tourette syndrome, a new discovery offers something that's been in short supply: real hope for better treatments.

A Rutgers-led international team has identified 36 genes that significantly raise the risk for OCD and chronic tic disorders. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, represents the most detailed biological map scientists have ever created of how these conditions develop.

The research analyzed DNA from nearly 4,000 people diagnosed with OCD, chronic tic disorders like Tourette syndrome, or both. Scientists focused on rare mutations that disrupt genes responsible for building and operating the brain.

Gary Heiman, a professor at Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences and senior coauthor, said the findings "dramatically expand the catalog of shared risk genes" and reveal biological connections with autism and schizophrenia. Many of the newly identified genes appear in regions of the brain involved in movement, decision-making and habit formation.

The discovery explains why OCD and chronic tic disorders often occur together in the same people and families. At the biological level, the disorders involve many of the same brain pathways and communication systems.

Jay Tischfield, a Tourette syndrome research pioneer and emeritus professor at Rutgers, emphasized the treatment potential. "In the past we knew about a couple of strong genes, so there were few opportunities for the pharmaceutical industry to develop drugs," he said. "Now you've got over 30 targets, and that opens up new possibilities."

The genes don't act individually but in networks, which could make designing new therapies easier. By revealing the biological systems behind the disorders, scientists can now work on drugs that target underlying mechanisms rather than simply managing symptoms.

Why This Inspires

The study wouldn't exist without families who volunteered DNA samples 20 years ago, long before modern sequencing technologies existed. Many were recruited through the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders.

"Families volunteered because they wanted to help scientists understand these conditions," Heiman said. Those samples, stored at the Rutgers Repository, became incredibly valuable as technology advanced.

The international collaboration combined genetic data from more than 30 research teams across the United States, Canada, Europe, South Korea and South America. It was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the New Venture Fund/Foundation for OCD Research, and the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome.

Brain cells communicate using chemical signals called neurotransmitters that carry messages from one nerve cell to another. The newly identified genes appear to influence how those signals move through the brain's circuitry, offering scientists clear targets for intervention.

"This study really moves the field forward," Heiman said. "We now have a much clearer picture of what's causing these disorders and many more directions to pursue as we work toward better treatments."

For millions affected by OCD and chronic tic disorders worldwide, the wait for better options just got shorter.