Basic to Clinical Molecular Neurobiology of Nicotinic Receptors in Schizophrenia

精神分裂症烟碱受体的临床分子神经生物学基础

• 批准号: 7691520
• 负责人: Robert Freedman
• 金额: $ 210.25万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-01 至 2014-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7691520
• 关键词: Basic; Clinical; Molecular; Neurobiology; Nicotinic

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The aims of this Translational Conte Center are (1) to enhance the basic molecular and neurobiological characterization of the role of the alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in the brain and its dysfunction in schizophrenia; (2) to use this biology to continue development of a new therapeutic strategy to improve the treatment of cognitive dysfunction and negative symptoms in persons who have schizophrenia (Project 1), and (3) to use emerging information about the developmental role of the receptor to initiate a perinatal intervention for pregnant women and their children to decrease the risk of schizophrenia (Project 2). The Center investigates the potential therapeutic effects of selective alpha 7 nicotinic agonists in animal models of neuronal dysfunction in schizophrenia and then in early human clinical trials in patients with schizophrenia. It examines CHRNA7, the gene for this receptor, to determine how its expression becomes aberrant in schizophrenia (Project 3) and in animal models where the gene is naturally or intentionally mutated (Project 4). It determines in humans and animal models how specific variants in the gene result in dysfunction in the development of inhibitory neuronal circuitry in the hippocampus and other forebrain regions. It then examines the effects of nicotinic agonists that can potentially alter these genetic effects on development. These agonists include selective alpha 7 nicotinic receptor agonists in animal models and nicotine itself in both humans and animal models because some pregnant women smoke cigarettes. Because the endogenous ligand during fetal brain development appears to be choline, the Center also examines the potential beneficial effects of choline supplementation on alpha 7 nicotinic receptor function and neuronal development in a clinical trial in pregnant women and their newborn infants and in related animal models. To support these investigations, the Center develops strategies to image inhibitory function hemodynamically and electrophysiologically, in both adults and infants, and it develops new animal models, including the transfer of human CHRNA7 into mice (Project 5) and models of developmental abnormalities induced by the immune response to infections (Project 6).

描述（由申请人提供）：该翻译孔孔中心的目的是（1）增强大脑中Alpha7烟碱乙酰胆碱受体的作用的基本分子和神经生物学表征及其在精神分裂症中的功能障碍； （2）利用这种生物学继续制定一种新的治疗策略，以改善患有精神分裂症的人的认知功能障碍和负面症状（项目1），以及（3）使用有关受体的发育作用的新兴信息，以启动孕妇及其儿童围产期干预的发育作用，从而减少schizophrenia的风险（Project 2）。该中心研究了精神分裂症的神经元功能障碍的动物模型，然后在精神分裂症患者的早期人类临床试验中，选择性α7烟碱激动剂在精神分裂症的动物模型中的潜在治疗作用。 它检查了该受体的基因Chrna7，以确定其表达如何变得异常 精神分裂症（项目3）以及基因自然或故意突变的动物模型（项目4）。它在人类和动物模型中确定了基因中的特定变体如何导致海马和其他前脑区域中抑制性神经元电路的发展。然后，它检查了烟碱激动剂的影响，这些激动剂可能会改变这些遗传对发育的影响。这些激动剂包括动物模型中的选择性α7烟碱受体激动剂，在人类和动物模型中本身都包括烟碱，因为一些孕妇抽烟。由于胎儿脑发育过程中的内源性配体似乎是胆碱，因此该中心还研究了补充胆碱对alpha 7烟碱受体功能和神经元发育的潜在有益作用，在孕妇及其新生儿及其新生婴儿以及相关动物模型中的临床试验中。为了支持这些研究，该中心制定了成年人和婴儿的抑制性功能进行抑制功能的抑制功能，并开发了新的动物模型，包括将人Chrna7转移到小鼠中（项目5）以及免疫反应感染引起的发育异常模型（项目6）。