Growth Factors and Psychiatric Disorders

The recent identification of susceptibility genes for schizophrenia, depression and learning and memory dysfunction suggest that psychiatric disorders may be influenced by a small number of genes with multiple actions. This is the first book to investigate the role of growth factors in these disorders, which should provide clues to the underlying biochemical mechanisms. For example, recent studies have substantiated the provocative finding that neuregulin 1 (NRG1)is a candidate gene for schizophrenia. Neuregulin and its receptors, the ErbB tyrosine kinases, are essential for development of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Lack of NRG1 function may be involved in dysregulation of synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity in the adult mediated through glutamate receptor function. Polymorphisms for BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. BDNF is a prevalent neurotrophic factor that plays an important role in the pathophysiology of depression, bipolar disease and other psychiatric disorders. Other topics addressed in this book include neuroplasticity and neurotrophic factors, signal transduction by neurotrophins, intracellular trafficking of growth factors, trophic factors and cognitive functions, neurotrophins and depression, and pharmacological treatments of schizophrenia.

Symposium on Growth factors and psychiatric disorders, held atthe Novartis Foundation, London, 20-22 March 2007.Editors: Derek J. Chadwick (Organizer) and JamieGoode.This symposium is based on a proposal made by MosesChao.Moses Chao Chair's introduction.Daniel C. Javitt Phenomenology, aetiology and treatmentof schizophrenia.Discussion.Jonathan Flint, Sagiv Shifman, Marcus Munafo andRichard Mott Genetic variants in major depression.Discussion.Eero Castrén and Tomi RantamäkiNeurotrophins in depression and antidepressant effects.Discussion.Jinbo Fan and Pamela Sklar Genetics of bipolardisorder: focus on BDNF Val66Met polymorphism.Discussion.David A. Talmage Mechanisms of neuregulin action.Discussion.General discussion I.H. Akil, S. J. Evans, C. A. Turner, J. Perez, R. M. Myers, W.E. Bunney, E. G. Jones, S. J. Watson and othermembers of the Pritzker Consortium The fibroblast growth factorfamily and mood disorders.Discussion.Jay N. Giedd, Rhoshel K. Lenroot, Philip Shaw, FrancoisLalonde, Mark Celano, Samantha White, Julia Tossell, AnjeneAddington and Nitin Gogtay Trajectories of anatomicbrain development as a phenotype.Discussion.Bai Lu and Keri Martinowich Cell biology of BDNFand its relevance to schizophrenia.Discussion.Enrico Tongiorgi and Gabriele Baj Functions andmechanisms of BDNF mRNA trafficking.Discussion.Amar Sahay and René Hen Hippocampalneurogenesis and depression.Discussion.Andrés Buonanno, Oh-Bin Kwon, Leqin Yan, CarmenGonzalez, Marines Longart, Dax Hoffman and DetlefVullhorst Neuregulins and neuronal plasticity: possiblerelevance in schizophrenia.Discussion.Zhe-Yu Chen, Kevin Bath, Bruce McEwen, Barbara Hempsteadand Francis Lee Impact of genetic variant BDNF (Val66Met) onbrain structure and function.Discussion.General discussion II.D. Malaspina, M. Perrin, K. R. Kleinhaus, M. Opler andS. Harlap Growth and schizophrenia: aetiology, epidemiologyand epigenetics.Discussion.Luiz M. Camargo, Qi Wang and Nicholas J. BrandonWhat can we learn from the disrupted in schizophrenia 1interactome: lessons for target identification and diseasebiology?Discussion.Michael Spedding and Pierre Gressens Neurotrophinsand cytokines in neuronal plasticity.Discussion.Moses Chao Closing remarks.Index of contributors.Subject index.