Dysregulation of Fibroblast Growth Factor 10 in the Peripheral Blood of Patients with Schizophrenia

Prospects for Neurotrophic Factor-Based Early Intervention in Schizophrenia: Lessons Learned from the Effects of Antipsychotic Drugs on Cognition, Neurogenesis, and Neurotrophic Factors

Although reducing psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia has been a major focus of therapeutic interventions for decades, improving cognition is considered a better predictor of functional outcomes. However, the most commonly prescribed antipsychotic drugs (APDs) show only marginal beneficial effects on cognition in patients with schizophrenia. The neural mechanisms underlying cognitive disturbances in schizophrenia remain unknown that making drug development efforts very challenging. Since neurotrophic factors are the primary architects of neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory, the findings from preclinical and clinical studies that assess changes in neurogenesis and neurotrophic factors and their relationship to cognitive performance in schizophrenia, and how these mechanisms might be impacted by APD treatment, may provide valuable clues in developing therapies to combat cognitive deficit in schizophrenia. Numerous evidence produced over the years suggests a deficit in a wide spectrum of neurotrophic factors in schizophrenia. Since schizophrenia is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder, early intervention with neurotrophic factors may be more effective in ameliorating the cognitive deficits and psychopathological symptoms associated with this pathology. In this context, results from initial clinical trials with neurotrophic factors and their future potential to improve cognition and psychosocial functioning in schizophrenia are discussed.

New developments in the biology of fibroblast growth factors

The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family is composed of 18 secreted signaling proteins consisting of canonical FGFs and endocrine FGFs that activate four receptor tyrosine kinases (FGFRs 1-4) and four intracellular proteins (intracellular FGFs or iFGFs) that primarily function to regulate the activity of voltage-gated sodium channels and other molecules. The canonical FGFs, endocrine FGFs, and iFGFs have been reviewed extensively by us and others. In this review, we briefly summarize past reviews and then focus on new developments in the FGF field since our last review in 2015. Some of the highlights in the past 6 years include the use of optogenetic tools, viral vectors, and inducible transgenes to experimentally modulate FGF signaling, the clinical use of small molecule FGFR inhibitors, an expanded understanding of endocrine FGF signaling, functions for FGF signaling in stem cell pluripotency and differentiation, roles for FGF signaling in tissue homeostasis and regeneration, a continuing elaboration of mechanisms of FGF signaling in development, and an expanding appreciation of roles for FGF signaling in neuropsychiatric diseases. This article is categorized under: Cardiovascular Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology Neurological Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology Congenital Diseases > Stem Cells and Development Cancer > Stem Cells and Development.

Meta-Analysis of Brain Gene Expression Data from Mouse Model Studies of Maternal Immune Activation Using Poly(I:C)

Maternal immune activation (MIA) is a known risk factor for schizophrenia (SCZ) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is often modelled in animal studies in order to study the effect of prenatal infection on brain function including behaviour and gene expression. Although the effect of MIA on gene expression are highly heterogeneous, combining data from multiple gene expression studies in a robust method may shed light on the true underlying biological effects caused by MIA and this could inform studies of SCZ and ASD. This study combined four RNA-seq and microarray datasets in an overlap analysis and ranked meta-analysis in order to investigate genes, pathways and cell types dysregulated in the MIA mouse models. Genes linked to SCZ and ASD and crucial in neurodevelopmental processes including neural tube folding, regulation of cellular stress and neuronal/glial cell differentiation were among the most consistently dysregulated in these ranked analyses. Gene ontologies including K+ ion channel function, neuron and glial cell differentiation, synaptic structure, axonal outgrowth, cilia function and lipid metabolism were also strongly implicated. Single-cell analysis identified excitatory and inhibitory cell types in the cortex, hippocampus and striatum that may be affected by MIA and are also enriched for genes associated with SCZ, ASD and cognitive phenotypes. This points to the cellular location of molecular mechanisms that may be consistent between the MIA model and neurodevelopmental disease, improving our understanding of its utility to study prenatal infection as an environmental stressor.

Fibroblast Growth Factor: Promising Target for Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is one of the most debilitating mental disorders around the world. It is characterized by neuroanatomical or biochemical changes. The role of the fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) system in schizophrenia has received considerable attention in recent years. Various changes in the gene expression and/or level of FGFs have been implicated in the etiology, symptoms and progression of schizophrenia. For example, studies have substantiated an interaction between FGFs and the signaling pathway of dopamine receptors. To understand the role of this system in schizophrenia, the databases of Open Access Journals, Web of Science, PubMed (NLM), LISTA (EBSCO), and Google Scholar with keywords including fibroblast growth factors, dopamine, schizophrenia, psychosis, along with neurotrophic were searched. In conclusion, the FGF family represent molecular candidates as new drug targets and treatment targets for schizophrenia.