Elucidation of the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders focused on presynaptic regulation mechanism

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K08090
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Medical pharmacy
• Research Institution: University of Toyama
• Principal Investigator: Miyamoto Yoshiaki 富山大学, 大学院医学薬学研究部(薬学), 准教授 (20449101)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): NITTA Atsumi 富山大学, 大学院医学薬学研究部(薬学), 教授 (20275093)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 精神疾患 / プレシナプスタンパク質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In recent years, patients with psychiatric disorders have been increasing rapidly in Japan. In the present study, we therefore tried to elucidate the etiology and pathophysiology of psychiatric disorder by focusing on the presynaptic protein Piccolo, which has been suggested to be involved in multiple psychiatric disorders in genome-wide association study, in order to develop its therapeutic method.
Neuronal function analysis at the individual, cell and molecular level in the prefrontal cortex Piccolo knockdown mice revealed similar phenotypes to patients with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Accordingly, neuronal network impairments from the prefrontal cortex caused emotional disturbance, cognitive dysfunction and stress vulnerability in bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Furthermore, it was suggested that the genetic manipulation mice are useful as a new psychiatric animal model with high validity.

Free Research Field

神経精神薬理学