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Genome-wide pleiotropic analysis identifies shared genetic architecture within the cognition-immune nexus
Tong Yu1, Guorui Zhao1, Yuyanan Zhang1
1Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China.
Translational Psychiatry
|July 1, 2026
Summary
This study reveals shared genetic factors link cognitive function and autoimmune disorders. Researchers identified 169 genes and potential therapeutic targets for both conditions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimmunology
- Psychiatric Genetics
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Growing evidence suggests a link between cognitive function and autoimmune disorders.
- The genetic underpinnings of this cognition-immune association are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the shared genetic architecture between cognitive traits and autoimmune disorders.
- To identify pleiotropic genes and potential therapeutic targets for both cognitive function and autoimmune diseases.
Main Methods:
- Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) statistics for cognitive traits and autoimmune disorders.
- Multi-level pleiotropic analyses including genetic correlation, Mendelian randomization (MR), colocalization, and enrichment analyses.
- Analysis of two independent cohorts (healthy individuals and schizophrenia patients).
Main Results:
- Identified nine significant cognition-immune linkage pairs and 46 pleiotropic loci, implicating 169 pleiotropic genes.
- Found shared genetic architecture, rather than direct causality, underlies most associations.
- Highlighted CD33 as a potential key mediator and identified 14 promising therapeutic targets (e.g., AMT, ERAP2, MAPK3).
Conclusions:
- Delineated the shared genetic basis of the cognition-immune nexus.
- Identified novel candidate genes and therapeutic targets for simultaneous treatment of cognitive and autoimmune conditions.
- Emphasized the value of integrative genetic approaches for advancing diagnosis and treatment in neuroimmunology.
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01:20Gene-Environment Interactions
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