Researchers affiliated with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine reported having successfully used a commercially available drug to "rescue" impaired brain cells in animals. The discovery is the result of recent studies involving the manipulation of a gene associated with schizophrenia and autism.
Led by a team of reseachers that includes 2008 Independent Investigator Hongjun Song, Ph.D., the rescue process was labeled as "surprisingly complete." By altering a gene called "KIAA1212," known for its binding potential between two genes linked to schizophrenia, the Johns Hopkins researchers were able to what happens in particular nerve cells during time of illness. The drug rapamycin, which prevents the breakdown of cells in certain pathways, was then applied, where it effectively rescued abnormal nerve cells.
The research team issued the folloowing statement: "the genes in question are not the cause of schizophrenia or any other brain/mind disorder in humans. However, these genes do appear to serve as a blueprint for proteins that consistently pop up in a range of mental illnesses in people."
The report was published in the September 24 issue of Neuron.
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