title: Rethinking the Epigenetic Framework to Unravel the Molecular Pathology of Schizophrenia.
abstract: Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder whose causes are still far from being known. Although researchers have focused on genetic or environmental contributions to the disease, we still lack a scientific framework that joins molecular and clinical findings. Epigenetic can explain how environmental variables may affect gene expression without modifying the DNA sequence. In fact, neuroepigenomics represents an effort to unify the research available on the molecular pathology of mental diseases, which has been carried out through several approaches ranging from interrogating single DNA methylation events and hydroxymethylation patterns, to epigenome-wide association studies, as well as studying post-translational modifications of histones, or nucleosomal positioning. The high dependence on tissues with epigenetic marks compels scientists to refine their sampling procedures, and in this review, we will focus on findings obtained from brain tissue. Despite our efforts, we still need to refine our hypothesis generation process to obtain real knowledge from a neuroepigenomic framework, to avoid the creation of more noise on this innovative point of view; this may help us to definitively unravel the molecular pathology of severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Neuroscience of Mental Disorders "Elena Pessino", Canis Majoris Foundation, Madrid Science Park, 28049 Madrid, Spain. acariaga@canismajoris.es.|Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alcalá, Universitary Campus, A2-Km 33.6, Alcalá de Henares, 28805 Madrid, Spain. acariaga@canismajoris.es.|Department of Psychiatry, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, IRYCIS, Ctra Colmenar Km 9.1, 28034 Madrid, Spain. acariaga@canismajoris.es.
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cariaga-Martinez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Neuroscience of Mental Disorders "Elena Pessino", Canis Majoris Foundation, Madrid Science Park, 28049 Madrid, Spain. ralelu@canismajoris.es.|Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alcalá, Universitary Campus, A2-Km 33.6, Alcalá de Henares, 28805 Madrid, Spain. ralelu@canismajoris.es.|Department of Psychiatry, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, IRYCIS, Ctra Colmenar Km 9.1, 28034 Madrid, Spain. ralelu@canismajoris.es.
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alelú-Paz
mesh_terms: D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D057890:Epigenomics / Q000379:methods*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D006657:Histones
keywords: epigenetic; human brain; molecular pathology; neuroepigenome; schizophrenia