Naslov
Protein aggregation in schizophrenia and other chronic mental illnesses

Autori
Bradshaw, Nicholas J.

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
International Congress of the Croatian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Abstract Book / - , 2022, 30-30

Skup
Congress of the Croatian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: From Science to Knowledge (HDBMB22)

Mjesto i datum
Brela, Hrvatska, 28.09.2022. - 01.10.2022

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Pozvano predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Podatak o recenziji nije dostupan

Ključne riječi
Schizophrenia ; Protein aggregation

Sažetak
Major mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, are devastating and often chronic conditions, which together form the largest cause of disability worldwide. This problem is made significantly worse by the lack of biological tests available to diagnose them, and the comparatively small range of effective medications to treat them. It is therefore vital that we gain a greater understanding of what the biological events are that underlie these conditions. The genetic background to these conditions has been thoroughly investigated, but has proven to be highly complex, with few obvious targets for new drugs or therapies. We, and our collaboration partners, have therefore been attempting to complement this approach by also studying proteins involved in major mental illness. Specifically, we have been investigating the existence of misfolded protein aggregates in these disorders, comparable to similar neurotoxic aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Several proteins have now been identified that appear to specifically form aggregates in the brains of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and/or depression. These are all brainexpressed proteins that, when functioning normally, are involved in either synaptic function and/or neurodevelopment. In many instances, one isoform or variant of the protein readily forms aggregates in cell culture and/or animal models, while others do not. Many of these proteins can “co-aggregate” with each other in the same patients, and when studied in cell culture. Specific structural regions have been identified in many of these proteins that are essential for their aggregation. Work is now ongoing to determine how aggregation of these proteins occurs, and what their consequences are for the normal function of neurons and the brain. While still at a comparatively early stage, the study of protein aggregation in mental illness is showing promise. Studies in larger brain collections, as well as further biochemical characterisation of the proteins, are now required to determine their ultimate relevance for diagnosis and/or treatment of major mental illness.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biotehnologija u biomedicini (prirodno područje, biomedicina i zdravstvo, biotehničko područje)

POVEZANOST RADA