Proteomic research in psychiatry.
Psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and mood disorders are severe and disabling conditions of largely unknown origin and poorly understood pathophysiology. An accurate diagnosis and treatment of these disorders is often complicated by their aetiological and clinical heterogeneity. In recent years proteomic technologies based on mass spectrometry have been increasingly used, especially in the search for diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in neuropsychiatric disorders. Proteomics enable an automated high-throughput protein determination revealing expression levels, post-translational modifications and complex protein-interaction networks. In contrast to other methods such as molecular genetics, proteomics provide the opportunity to determine modifications at the protein level thereby possibly being more closely related to pathophysiological processes underlying the clinical phenomenology of specific psychiatric conditions. In this article we review the theoretical background of proteomics and its most commonly utilized techniques. Furthermore the current impact of proteomic research on diverse psychiatric diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, mood and anxiety disorders, drug abuse and autism, is discussed. Proteomic methods are expected to gain crucial significance in psychiatric research and neuropharmacology over the coming decade.
Academic Unit of Psychiatry, The School of Medicine, Institute of Life Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK.
Regina
R
Taurines
Edward
E
Dudley
Julia
J
Grassl
Andreas
A
Warnke
Manfred
M
Gerlach
Andrew N
AN
Coogan
Johannes
J
Thome
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*
D015415:Biomarkers