Longitudinal changes in miRNAs derived from extracellular vesicles from childhood to adulthood: 14 years of follow-up

• Grant number: 24/11062-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: January 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Human and Medical Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Marcos Leite Santoro
• Grantee: Yanka Ceragioli da Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Farmacologia (INFAR). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/05560-6 - Genetic and epigenetic approaches as predictive models in mental disorders, AP.JP

Abstract

The development of mental disorders (MDs) is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Given that MDs are multifactorial diseases, longitudinal approaches are essential for understanding how genetic risk interacts with environmental factors. Gene expression and DNA methylation studies are particularly important for understanding longitudinal changes; however, access to the target tissue, the brain, is limited. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles (30-100 nm in diameter) that are secreted by various cell types and detected in different bodily fluids such as serum. Due to their size, they can cross the blood-brain barrier and have therefore been studied in neurological and psychiatric diseases with the aim of identifying potential biomarkers. In this study, our objective is to evaluate the expression of miRNA in serum extracellular vesicles (EVs) from childhood to adulthood and relate it to the establishment of mental disorders. To achieve this, we will utilize data and samples from the Brazilian High Risk Cohort (BHRC), a longitudinal study with three collections already completed over the past 10 years and a fourth collection scheduled for 2023. Thus, we will select 500 individuals with samples available from the three completed phases and the upcoming phase. Psychiatric diagnoses will be defined using the DAWBA scale, and the assessed phenotypes will include depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety disorders. With this study, we hope to identify potential transition markers for MDs and improve the current tools available for MD prediction.