The roles of lipids in the molecular pathology of the psychiatric disorders

• Project/Area Number: 18K15063
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 49010:Pathological biochemistry-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University (2021); Hamamatsu University School of Medicine (2018)
• Principal Investigator: KONDO Takeshi 北海道大学, 医学研究院, 助教 (10712705)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2021)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000); Fiscal Year 2021: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥520,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥120,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥520,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥120,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
• Keywords: 脂質 / 光遺伝学 / イメージング質量分析 / 統合失調症 / 抗精神病薬 / 精神疾患

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and depression, are important medical issues today. Understanding the etiologies of these disorders is a major challenge for establishment of treatment. In this study, we developed optical control methods to control lipids and tried to clarify the functions of lipids in the etiologies in psychiatric disorders. Especially, we focused on the role of lipids in the mechanisms of antipsychotic agents and provided new insights distinct from previous studies on genes and proteins related to these disorders.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

統合失調症は世界人口の約1％が罹患する代表的な精神疾患であり，社会的な回復率の低さが今なお問題であるが，その原因は未だ明らかになっておらず従って発症機序に基づいた治療法も存在しない．近年の分析技術の向上により，脂質をはじめとする代謝物の異常が報告されるようになったが，その意義についてはほとんど分かっていない．
本研究では代表者らがこれまで見出した患者死後脳における脂質異常の意義を解明するために，脂質研究に資する新たな研究技術を開発した．これによって疾患における脂質の意義の解明が進み，脂質に着目した創薬基盤形成につながることが期待される．