Schizophrenia affects approximately 20 million people worldwide. Loss of personal identity, delusions, flat affect (lack of emotional expression), hallucinations, and memory loss are symptoms related to the disease. Numerous genes linked to schizophrenia have been discovered in recent years. However, pinpointing a specific area of the brain that is believed to be responsible for the condition has proven to be incredibly challenging — until now.
Scientists have discovered a precise area in the brain where schizophrenia may arise while trying to solve a decades-long puzzle about a certain molecule. If doctors gain knowledge of where to look and what to look, it could be an excellent development for the Schizophrenia Treatments Market. It would help in identifying those at risk of schizophrenia before the disorder strikes and might lead to new diagnostic, preventive, and treatment measures.
The function of a protein closely connected to the psychiatric condition has been identified for the first time. SAP97 (Synapse-Associated Protein 97) is a protein found in neurons in the brain that focuses on a protein named SAP97. The researchers linked it to the dentate gyrus, a region in the hippocampus.
The team discovered that mutations that prevent SAP97 from working could cause schizophrenia. These mutations have been related to a 40-fold increase in the likelihood of developing schizophrenia, the highest growth in the risk of any mutation ever observed. For many years, the normal function of SAP97 — that is, what it does and where, within the brain — has remained a mystery. Because no one knows how or where the protein acts, it's also unclear why mutations in SAP97 cause schizophrenia.
Due to the lack of SAP97 activity in the typically investigated brain regions, the team turned their attention to the dentate gyrus. This brain region has been associated with schizophrenia in theory.
The researchers investigated for alterations in activity in the dentate gyrus in rats with damaged SAP97, and they found them. The findings are the first to show where SAP97 is active in the brain and to link changes in dentate gyrus function to the development of schizophrenia.
The team wants to investigate SAP97 activity in additional parts of the brain in future investigations. They'll also see if mutations in other proteins associated with schizophrenia cause similar changes in glutamatergic transmission in the dentate gyrus. Their continuous research will significantly assist in the development of more effective treatment solutions for this previously mysterious condition.
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