Project Summary

Sabine Bahn, M.D., Ph.D., M.R.C. Psych. (Independent Investigator 2005) of the University of Cambridge, using the latest genomic technologies aims to study whether certain cellular changes seen in the brains of schizophrenics may also be occurring in non-neuronal tissue. Recently, Dr. Bahn used large-scale functional genomics methods to investigate gene, protein and metabolite alterations in post-mortem human brain tissue and found that pathways associated with mitochondrial function, oxidative stress and hypoxia were most prominently affected in schizophrenic brains compared with healthy controls. Dr. Bahn now hypothesizes that such abnormalities may also be observed in peripheral tissues, and points out that some evidence in the scientific literature suggests psychotic illness is a systemic disorder. In her proposed study, Dr. Bahn would like to analyze whether changes seen in the brain tissue of schizophrenics may also be seen in their T-cells. T cells can easily be obtained in high purity and are a good model of cellular function, she says.

Program Area: SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS\Schizophrenia

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