Research has shown that our brains contain DNA sequences from past infections, some of which contribute to susceptibility to diseases such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Scientists estimate that approximately 8 percent of the genome (the complete set of DNA) is made up of sequences called human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) – Products of viral infections that occurred hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Until now, it was believed that these viruses They have no basic function and are just junk DNABut after recently discovering its location in our DNA, scientists have a better understanding of the functions it may perform. They demonstrated that a set of specific HERV receptors expressed in the human brain contribute to susceptibility to psychiatric disorders.
