Potential genetic markers in early phases of schizophrenia

• Grant number: 12/12686-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: February 01, 2013
• End date: October 21, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Síntia Iole Nogueira Belangero
• Grantee: Marcos Leite Santoro
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/50740-5 - Prevention in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder from neuroscience to the community: a multiphase, multimodal and translational platform for research and intervention, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 14/22223-4 - Genome-wide expression and DNA methylation analysis in an antipsychotic-naive first episode of psychosis cohort, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (BD) are neurodevelopmental illnesses that cause an enormous burden of suffering, high morbidity and mortality rates. Both are complex diseases characterized by alteration in multiple genes, combined with epigenetic modifications and environmental factors. Since these disorders are diagnosed, the patients need care and treatment for the rest of their lives. Therefore, it is very important to study these disorders before transition to psychosis to better understand the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and BD, and also to find out biomarkers that can predict this transition. The aim of the present study is to analyze the gene expression of 28 mRNAs and 88 miRNAs related to neurotransmission in four groups: 80 health subjects; 80 patients in first episode of psychosis; and 80 subjects Ultra High Risk (UHR) for psychosis, 20 of them with DiGeorge syndrome. Besides, it is expected a transition rate of 25% to psychosis in a follow up of two years, in which we will also analyze the gene expression of mRNA and miRNA. The gene expression will be verified through Real Time qPCR technology. With this study, we expect to find differential expression of mRNA and miRNA, in order to discover new biomarkers of progression and transition to psychosis. To our knowledge, there is no such study investigating gene expression of mRNA or miRNA in a UHR sample.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GOUVEA, E. S.; OTA, V. K.; NOTO, C.; SANTORO, M. L.; SPINDOLA, L. M.; MORETTI, P. N.; CARVALHO, C. M.; XAVIER, G.; RIOS, A. C.; SATO, J. R.; et al. Gene expression alterations related to mania and psychosis in peripheral blood of patients with a first episode of psychosis. TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY, v. 6, OCT 4 2016. (11/50740-5, 14/50830-2, 12/12686-1, 13/10498-6, 10/08968-6, 14/07280-1)

SANTORO, MARCOS LEITE; GADELHA, ARY; OTA, VANESSA K.; CUNHA, GRACCIELLE R.; ASEVEDO, ELSON; NOTO, CRISTIANO S.; SPINDOLA, LETICIA M.; PAN, PEDRO M.; TALARICO, FERNANDA; MANSUR, RODRIGO B.; et al. Gene expression analysis in blood of ultra-high risk subjects compared to first-episode of psychosis patients and controls. WORLD JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY, v. 16, n. 6, p. 441-446, 2015. (10/08968-6, 12/12686-1, 11/50740-5, 10/19176-3)

SANTORO, MARCOS LEITE; OTA, VANESSA; DE JONG, SIMONE; NOTO, CRISTIANO; SPINDOLA, LETICIA M.; TALARICO, FERNANDA; GOUYEA, EDUARDO; LEE, SANG HYUCK; MORETTI, PATRICIA; CURTIS, CHARLES; et al. Polygenic risk score analyses of symptoms and treatment response in an antipsychotic-naive first episode of psychosis cohort. TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY, v. 8, AUG 31 2018. (14/50830-2, 14/07280-1, 14/22223-4, 12/12686-1, 10/08968-6, 16/13737-0, 16/04983-7, 11/50740-5)