Tourette disorder: how non-coding changes and somatic CNVs may influence risk
Official title: Exploring the contribution of non-coding and somatic copy number variations to the Tourette Disorder
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11512931 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Mayo Clinic team is examining whether non-coding genetic changes and somatic copy number variations contribute to Tourette disorder in children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $161,400 |
| NIH project number | 1R03NS148680-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11512931 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children and adolescents with Tourette disorder who have available genetic data or brain tissue samples for analysis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without Tourette disorder or without access to relevant genetic samples are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at genetic data from a large group of Tourette patients and brain samples to find non-coding variants and somatic CNVs that might increase risk. Researchers will use SNP arrays and whole-genome sequencing, plus single-cell data from brain tissue, to map variants to regulatory regions and assess their potential impact on gene regulation. They will compare affected individuals with controls to identify differences in variant burden, frequency, and location. The goal is to better understand the genetic contributors to Tourette and how they might interact with brain development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could clarify genetic risk factors for Tourette and point to new avenues for diagnosis or targeted therapies in the future.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies identified a limited number of risk genes; this project explores new non-coding and somatic contributions, which is an innovative next step.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abyzov, Alexej — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Abyzov, Alexej
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.