Professor Gilles Guillemin, a world-renowned expert in tryptophan research from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, explains that researchers at Macquarie University have potentially identified why inflammation may cause schizophrenia: it leads to chemical imbalances in the brain.
Inflammation linked to chemical imbalance in schizophrenia
By: Macquarie University
APRIL 10, 2019
A study published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified changes in inflammation-related biochemical pathways in schizophrenia that interfere with proper brain nerve cell communication. Researchers have found the first direct evidence in support of increased kynurenic acid production in the brain, which is known to block a key glutamate receptor. This discovery paves the way for development of better targeted therapies with fewer side effects for people with schizophrenia.
The study is a collaboration between Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), UNSW Sydney and Macquarie University.
The study found elevated kynurenic acid in the brains of people with schizophrenia suggesting an overproduction of kynurenic acid, especially in response to inflammation, which could be detrimental to brain function.
"We found that inflammation plays an important role in the brain pathology of schizophrenia. However, we do not know which avenue of inflammation leads to the brain pathology of schizophrenia," said Professor Cynthia Shannon Weickert, from NeuRA and UNSW Sydney.
"This is exciting for the field of schizophrenia research, because in addition to our previous findings that point to the immune cell's role in schizophrenia, we have now identified another cell target in the brain. This provides a better understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the deleterious effects of neuroinflammation."
