Revolutionizing Mental Health: How Stem Cells Are Paving the Way for Healing!
stem cell changing mental health
How Stem Cell Research Is Changing Mental Health
Impact of Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Disorders on Individuals and Society
Neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, and depression, exert significant ramifications on affected individuals and the broader societal framework. Recognizing the intricate genetic underpinnings of these conditions.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has inaugurated the SSPsyGene consortium. This collaborative initiative amalgamates eminent researchers to investigate 250 high-risk genes implicated in these disorders.
Through the strategic mutation of these genes within human stem cells and subsequent analysis, the consortium endeavors to elucidate the genetic determinants of these ailments, thereby facilitating the development of more efficacious therapeutic interventions.
stem cell changing mental health: Deciphering the Genetic Foundations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders (NPD) such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, and depression pose substantial challenges to individuals, their families, and society at large, often remaining refractory to effective treatment modalities.
Emerging evidence increasingly underscores the role of genetic mutations in specific genes that elevate the propensity for developing NPD. To date, several hundred “risk genes” have been identified; however, their precise involvement in NPD remains largely enigmatic.
“Extant knowledge about the fundamental functions of most of these genes is scant, and what insights we possess are frequently derived from oncology-focused cell lines rather than neuronal cell types,” remarks David Panchision, Chief of the Developmental and Genomic Neuroscience Research Branch at NIMH. Panchision leads the SSPsyGene program, which seeks to address this knowledge gap.
“Consequently, our comprehension of how alterations in these genes operate individually or synergistically to contribute to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders remains nebulous.”
stem cell changing mental health: SSPsyGene Consortium: Pioneering Advances in Mental Health Research
In pursuit of a comprehensive understanding, the NIMH established the SSPsyGene consortium in 2023, bringing together research teams from prestigious U.S. universities. The consortium’s collective objective is to delineate the genetic origins of NPD by concentrating on 250 meticulously selected high-risk genes.
Key contributors include Jubao Duan from Endeavor Health (formerly NorthShore University Health System) and the University of Chicago, alongside Zhiping Pang from Rutgers University, USA. Their teams have engineered a scalable method for inducing mutations in NPD risk genes within human stem cells.
This technique involves altering a designated NPD risk gene to abrogate its ability to produce a functional protein. Subsequently, the genetically modified stem cells are differentiated into neurons and other cerebral cell types, thereby simulating the repercussions of risk gene mutations in a controlled, laboratory-based analog of the human brain.
During the project’s preliminary phase, the teams scrutinized 23 NPD risk genes, with findings disseminated in a recent publication in Stem Cell Reports. The generated stem cell lines are slated for distribution to the global research community, thereby advancing investigations into the roles these risk genes play in NPD.
Looking ahead, Pang, Duan, and their consortium colleagues intend to expand their efforts, creating mutated stem cell lines for a substantially larger array of risk genes. The ultimate aspiration is to unravel the genetic etiologies of NPD and to inform the creation of superior therapeutic strategies.
“The aspiration is that this collaborative endeavor will yield a profoundly impactful resource for the neuroscience and psychiatric research community,” asserts Panchision.
Reference:
“Scaled and Efficient Derivation of Loss of Function Alleles in Risk Genes for Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Disorders in Human iPSC”
Stem Cell Reports, 12 September 2024.
DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2024.08.003
