MiRNA role in schizophrenia: from genome until protein

• Grant number: 16/19462-2
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): March 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Síntia Iole Nogueira Belangero
• Grantee: Gabriela Xavier
• Home Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/26241-8 - Investigation of miRNA expression in neural cells of first episode psychosis patients, BE.EP.DD

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a multifatorial and complex disease that affects about 1% of mundial population. The disease develops, usually, in late adolescence and early adulthood, and its couse is often chronic and debilitating. Although the mechanisms leading to the disease are still unknown, it is known that there is a large genetic contribution. Association studies have shown the importance of genetic polymorphisms for the development of the disease, indicating a true polygenic inheritance of the disease. Such changes in the genome of patients may act in the regulation of gene expression by regulating epigenetic mechanisms, such as miRNA. This project offers a study of the most relevants miRNA for etiology and progression/treatment of Schizophrenia. Therefore, we havea cohort of individuals with first episode psychosis (PEP onset) virgins of antipsychotics (N = 60) and followed by two months of treatment with risperidone (N = 60), patients with chronic Schizophrenia (N = 60) and healthy controls (n = 120). First of all, we will compare genetic polymorphisms between PEP and control groups or patients with chronic Schizophrenia and control, in order to identify potential altered miRNAs in disease. From then on, they will be selected 10 miRNAs to be evaluated for their expression and compared between the cohorts. The polymorphism genotyping data has been obtained SNP arrays and will be extracted, while the expression of miRNAs genes is verified by real time PCR using TaqMan Low Density Array card customized. In addition, based on the most statistically significant miRNAs, we will select a target protein to be evaluated for its serum expression. Thus, we seek to advance the understanding of the etiology and treatment of Schizophrenia. In the long run these findings will benefit patients through a better quality of life and greater survival. (AU)

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)

XAVIER, GABRIELA; SPINDOLA, LETICIA M.; OTA, VANESSA K.; CARVALHO, CAROLINA M.; MAURYA, PAWAN KUMAR; TEMPAKU, PRISCILA F.; MORETTI, PATRICIA N.; MAZOTTI, DIEGO R.; SATO, JOAO RICARDO; BRIETZKE, ELISA; MIGUEL, EURIPEDES CONSTANTINO; GRASSI-OLIVEIRA, RODRIGO; MARI, JAIR; BRESSAN, RODRIGO A.; GADELHA, ARY; PAN, PEDRO M.; BELANGERO, SINTIA IOLE. Effect of male-specific childhood trauma on telomere length. JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, v. 107, p. 104-109, DEC 2018. Web of Science Citations: 2.