By Science News Staff Dec. 17, 2020 , 2:00 PM Welcome to Science’s latest crossword puzzle, marking our 2020 Breakthrough … The team says their findings may explain why schizophrenia tends to develop in late adolescence or early adulthood; excessive synaptic pruning caused by increased C4 activity at this point in time may trigger symptom onset. SCIENTISTS have made a major breakthrough in the treatment for schizophrenia following one of the biggest studies of its kind. Schizophrenia is a severe mental health condition that causes significant disability, and affects 1 in 100 people. Better heart health in midlife may lower dementia risk, Male bosses regard employee depression more negatively, Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI. It is estimated that around 21 million people across the globe have schizophrenia, with symptom onset most common in late adolescence or early adulthood. McCarroll and his colleague Aswin Sekar, an MD/PhD student at Harvard Medical School, created a novel molecular technique that enabled the team to characterize the structure of the C4 gene in the DNA samples of more than 65,000 individuals, of whom around 29,000 had schizophrenia and 36,000 did not. This article looks at some of the recent theories about…. They aim to find out more about how C4 contributes to synaptic pruning, and to determine whether such pruning may play a role in other neurological conditions. Richard Pops, Alkermes CEO, provides insight to the enormous market for schizophrenia and depression. “But I’m almost giddy about these findings.”. Using this adapted method to see what role C4 plays in the brains of mice, the researchers found that the gene is key for synaptic pruning – the process by which synapses are streamlined, which normally occurs in late adolescence/early adulthood in humans. Employing new molecular techniques allowed Professor Shannon Weickert and her team to identify the presence of a fourth cell, the macrophage, a type of immune cell in the brain tissue of people with schizophrenia who show high levels of inflammation. By Luke Hawker PUBLISHED: 19:10, Tue, Mar 26, 2019 Desperately needed vaccines against COVID-19, developed and tested at record speed, are 2020’s breakthrough. 8:30 AM to 4:45 PM ZOOM with check in from 8:00 to 8:30 PM Program from 8:30 AM to 4:45 PM Course Director: KN Roy Chengappa, MD Since our 2015 review of this literature, multiple new studies have been published using these techniques. Deconstruction of the schizophrenia “syndrome” is widely endorsed and work is being done to get at the relevant dimensions of the condition to determine how they can be influenced. In March, when cases of COVID-19 began to overwhelm … Schizophrenia may result in some combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impairs daily functioning, and can be disabling.People with schizophrenia require lifelong treatment. What is more, the researchers say their findings support the theory that components of the immune system play a developmental role in the brain, rather than just aiding the fight against infection. The Breakthrough Schizophrenia Treatments You Need to Know About From long-lasting Injectables to a whole new drug class, here are the five most important cutting-edge treatments. This new drug, an article in JAMA Psychiatry concluded, “demonstrated efficacy for improving the symptoms of schizophrenia and a favorable safety profile.” All rights reserved. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional, Understanding the genetic roots of schizophrenia, identified more than 100 areas of the human genome, Specific C4 structures linked to increased schizophrenia risk, C4 ‘prunes’ synapses to increase schizophrenia risk, A ‘crucial turning point in the fight against mental illness’, Through my eyes: Adjusting to life with a spinal cord injury. October 28, 2020 05:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time. We identified immune cells as a new player in the brain pathology of schizophrenia,” said Professor Shannon Weickert. Introducing Schizophrenia Bulletin Open. Learn about the symptoms of anxiety, including when they might occur, what causes them, and what you can be do about them. Shares of Alkermes are up nicely after positive data from its schizophrenia drug trial. 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