A novel mechanism for the development of stress-related psychiatric disorders

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H05054
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Pharmacology in pharmacy
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Kasai Atsushi 大阪大学, 薬学研究科, 准教授 (40454649)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: ストレス / 全脳 / 不安 / うつ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although mental stress can cause the onset of psychiatric disorders such as depression, the pathogenesis of these disorders remains unclear. Here, we combined whole-brain activation mapping and data-driven analysis by support vector machine to identify a new population of neurons involved in the stress response and subsequent development of depression-like behavior. We have clarified the neuronal connectivity of the cell population to stress circuits at the whole brain level, and showed that specific neural manipulation of the cell population can mediate bidirectional and reversible control of stress-induced anxiety-related behavior and the onset of depressive-like behaviors. These results suggest that the cell population can be a therapeutic target for stress-related psychiatric disorders.

Free Research Field

神経薬理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

不安症やうつ病の新規治療薬の第一選択薬は、選択的セロトニン再取り込み阻害薬であり、過去数十年間新薬は出ていない。しかし、うつ病患者の約3割は、既存の抗うつ薬では治療効果が得られない難治性であるとされている。そのため、新たな機序の抗うつ薬・不安症等の治療薬開発が求められている。本研究によって同定されたストレス応答性の細胞集団は、これらストレス性精神疾患の新たな標的になることが期待される。