Characterization of a pharmacological cellular model for schizophrenia induced by amphetamine or mk-801 in the cellular human lines SH-SY5Y

• Grant number: 20/04266-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2020
• End date: December 09, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Neuropsychopharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Vanessa Costhek Abílio
• Grantee: Vinicius Issamu Mendonça Hirai
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder, characterized by positive, negative symptoms and cognitive deficits. Its incidence in the world population, in 2016, has already exceeded 21 million people. Changes in the central nervous system are related to this disorder, such as changes in the dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems. Schizophrenia is treated with antipsychotics, but these drugs have limitations. Pre-clinical studies that seek to advance the understanding of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and the discovery of new treatments use mainly animal models. However, animal studies have limitations regarding the understanding of the cellular mechanisms and events underlying this disorder. Therefore, the creation of a pharmacological cell model induced by amphetamine or MK-801 - dopaminergic agonist and NMDA antagonist, respectively, used in animal models of schizophrenia - is of paramount importance to understand the bases of the disorder and in future expand knowledge about schizophrenia and its treatment. This is the objective of this project.