Clarifying the microglial abnormality in schizophrenia via white matter-synaptic regulation deficits

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Glial assembly: a new regulatory machinery of brain function and disorders
• Project/Area Number: 25117011
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Kanba Shigenobu 九州大学, 医学研究院, 教授 (50195187)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): Kato Takahiro A. 九州大学病院, 精神科神経科, 講師 (70546465)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-06-28 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 精神疾患 / ミクログリア / 直接誘導ミクログリア様細胞 / 直接誘導ニューロン / 那須ハコラ病 / 統合失調症 / 双極性障害 / レックリングハウゼン氏病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To clarify the underlying mechanisms of neuron-microglia abnormalities in schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders, we have newly developed two translational research tools (cells), (1) directly induced microglia-like (iMG) cells from human blood monocytes for two weeks, and (2) directly induced early-phase induced neuronal (iN) cells from human fibroblasts for two weeks. Using these cells, we have revealed disease-specific cellular level abnormalities in some neuropsychiatric disorders.

Free Research Field

精神神経科学