Project Summary

Anne E. West, M.D., Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2006) of Duke University Medical Center, will study the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the neurotransmitter GABA in modulating synaptic plasticity. One of the genetic risk factors for affective disorders is the synaptic plasticity gene BDNF. This finding suggests that understanding how factors like BDNF modulate synaptic plasticity may offer insight into the causes and treatment of mental illness. BDNF plays an especially important role in the development of inhibition in the brain by increasing the number of synapses that use GABA. Recently it was discovered that a form of the messenger RNA (mRNA) that encodes BDNF is localized near synaptic sites. Dr. West hypothesizes that this specific BDNF mRNA may be important for the effects of BDNF on synapses. She will test this model in an assay of GABAergic synapse development. Besides elucidating mechanisms of synaptic plasticity, she hopes these studies might suggest new targets for the development of drugs to treat mental illness.

Program Area: MULTIPLE FOCUS\Anxiety Disorders/Mood Disorders

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