Investigations into psychoneuroimmunology-relevant microendophenotypes of psychiatric disorders

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Unraveling micro-endophenotypes of psychiatric disorders at the molecular, cellular and circuit levels.
• Project/Area Number: 24116007
• 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: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Tomita Hiroaki 東北大学, 災害科学国際研究所, 教授 (90295064)
• Research Collaborator: YU Zhiqian 東北大学, 災害科学国際研究所, 助教 (60451639)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-06-28 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 脳神経疾患 / 神経科学 / 遺伝子 / ストレス / 免疫学 / ミクログリア / サイトカイン / 心的外傷後ストレス障害

Outline of Final Research Achievements

An intra-field collaborative research with Kida group (A03) has identified microglial cytokine production profiles as microendophenotypes of formation and maintenance of fear memory utilizing a mouse model of posttraumatic stress disorder. Also, a research with Hashimoto group (A02) has indicated altered methylation pattern of glial cell-related gene loci as the pathogeneses of schizophrenia caused by immune stress on maternal body during a fetal period. Furthermore, technologies to identify subpopulations of immune cells related to psychiatric disorders, and an immune-related microendophenotype relevant to the efficacy of a mood stabilizer were developed.

Free Research Field

精神医学