HEFEI - Scientists have pinpointed a specific gene that increases susceptibility to schizophrenia, researchers at Anhui Medical University said Friday.

Researchers analyzed the genes of around 12,000 individuals with schizophrenia and healthy individuals from two separate cohorts to discover "Tspan-18," a gene located in the eleventh chromosome that increases susceptibility to the mental illness.

The Chinese researchers have also validated another schizophrenia-susceptible gene discovered by their foreign counterparts, which is located in the sixth chromosome.

Schizophrenia is characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. Scientists around the globe are trying to discover the cause of and permanent treatment for the mental disorder through genetic analysis.

The research was jointly conducted by scientists from Anhui Medical University, the First Hospital affiliated with the university, the National Human Genome Center and Peking University.

The scientists' findings were published in an online edition of the scientific journal Nature Genetics.