Scientists Identify Genes Linked to OCD, Opening New Avenues for Treatments

On September 1, 2026, the journal Nature Neuroscience published a study on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) conducted by Professor Jay Tischfield of Rutgers University in New Jersey and colleagues. The study analyzed the DNA of nearly 4,000 people diagnosed with these conditions and identified 36 genes that significantly increase the risk of OCD and chronic tic disorders — a finding that could pave the way for new treatments for OCD.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a type of anxiety disorder in which patients are often plagued by obsessive thoughts and experience recurring intrusive thoughts or compulsive behaviors. Chronic tic disorders, including Tourette syndrome, manifest as sudden, repetitive, uncontrollable movements or vocalizations.

In a statement, Tischfield noted: "In the past, we only knew of a few strongly associated genes, leaving the pharmaceutical industry with very limited opportunities to develop drugs. Now, with more than 30 targets, this opens up new possibilities for developing new therapies."

Many of the newly identified genes are shared between OCD and chronic tic disorders. The researchers found that, from a biological standpoint, these conditions appear to involve many of the same brain pathways. They also found that several of the genes had previously been linked to autism and schizophrenia.

This finding further supports the growing body of evidence that multiple psychiatric disorders may stem from related dysfunctions in brain development and neural signaling.

Brain cells communicate using chemical signals known as neurotransmitters, which relay information between neurons. The genes identified in this study appear to influence how these signals are transmitted through the brain's neural circuits. Uncovering the biological mechanisms underlying these disorders could help develop drugs that target the root causes of the disease, rather than merely alleviating symptoms.

Of course, this research is still at the basic-science stage and remains far from clinical application. Nevertheless, studies such as this open up new ideas for the treatment of neurological disorders.

The study also demonstrates that, for conditions widely regarded as difficult to treat, the single-gene, single-target approach is highly limited. Since OCD is associated with 36 genes, any targeted drug aimed at a single gene is likely to have very limited efficacy. Drug development therefore needs to consider multi-gene, multi-target strategies that act on multiple genes simultaneously.