希少な脳細胞が統合失調症症状の予防に鍵(Rare Brain Cell May Hold the Key to Preventing Schizophrenia Symptoms)

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2025-10-27 コペンハーゲン大学(UCPH)

コペンハーゲン大学の研究で、統合失調症様の行動を示すマウスで特定の脳細胞が異常に活性化していることが判明。この細胞の活動を化学遺伝学的手法で抑えると、睡眠や行動が正常化した。研究チームは、この細胞が「15q13.3欠失症候群」と関連し、脳発達初期の認知障害の発症に関与すると指摘。発症前の思春期前後に介入することで予防が可能な「治療ウィンドウ」が存在する可能性を示した。本成果は将来、脳全体に影響を及ぼさない精密な統合失調症治療薬開発への道を開くと期待されている。論文は『Neuron』誌に掲載。

<関連情報>

神経精神症候群モデルにおける主要な特徴としての皮質GABA作動性投射ニューロンの機能不全 Dysfunction of cortical GABAergic projection neurons as a major hallmark in a model of neuropsychiatric syndrome

Andrea Asenjo-Martinez ∙ Katarina Dragicevic ∙ Wen-Hsien Hou ∙ … ∙ Marco Capogna ∙ Navneet A. Vasistha ∙ Konstantin Khodosevich
Neuron  Published:September 24, 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2025.08.028

Graphical abstract

希少な脳細胞が統合失調症症状の予防に鍵(Rare Brain Cell May Hold the Key to Preventing Schizophrenia Symptoms)

Highlights

  • Transcriptomics, functional mechanisms, and behavior in the 15q13.3 microdeletion model
  • Sst_Chodl GABAergic projecting neurons show the most severe impairment
  • Molecular changes are linked to altered neuron physiology, connectivity, and sleep
  • Sleep deficits can be rescued by chemogenetic inhibition of Sst_Chodl neurons

Summary

Neuropsychiatric disorders have a strong genetic component and are linked to developmental risk factors, yet it is unclear why symptoms appear only later in life and which neuronal types contribute to brain dysfunction. We addressed these questions using a robust mouse model of a neuropsychiatric syndrome—the 15q13.3 microdeletion. Single-nucleus transcriptomics revealed the largest gene expression alterations in the somatostatin (Sst) Sst_Chodl subtype, the long-range γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAergic) projecting neurons. Despite the developmental onset of perturbations, impairments in Sst_Chodl neurons manifested only at late maturation. Calcium imaging and patch-clamp recordings unraveled impaired responsivity overall in deep-layer Sst neurons, with only the Sst_Chodl subtype exhibiting increased activity. Patch-seq analysis connected molecular changes to cellular dysfunction of Sst_Chodl neurons. Finally, microdeletion mice displayed sleep disturbances associated with impaired activity of deep-layer Sst neurons, which were rescued by chemogenetic inhibition of Sst_Chodl neurons. Our findings spotlight GABAergic projection neurons as potential vulnerable targets in neuropsychiatric disorders.

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