"Stem cells and their role in the treatment of psychiatric diseases"

Abstract

Psychiatric illnesses burden the health system significantly, accounting for 7.1% of the total burden of illnesses worldwide. Despite the great advances that have been made in recent decades, our knowledge of the pathophysiology of many common psychiatric disorders remains limited. Firstly, because they represent a malfunction in the less understood organ of the human body: the brain, and secondly, because of the great complexity suggested by our limited understanding of the genetic basis of mental illness. This dissertation gathers the latest data on the application of stem cells in the treatment of psychiatric disorders.

In recent years, many studies have focused on immune abnormalities and the reduction of neurotrophic factors that characterize the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. It is known that MSCs have the ability to promote neurogenesis and the survival and differentiation of nerve cells through the expression of neurotrophic factors, e.g. of BDNF, NGF, and IGF. In particular, intra-hippocampal implantation of MSCs enhances hippocampal neurogenesis and does not affect the behavioral function of rats. In addition, ever-increasing evidence suggests that the management of NSCs has a significant impact on most psychiatric disorders. Current data suggest that both neurogenesis and oligodendrogenesis may be regulated in psychiatric illnesses, possibly playing an essential role in their pathogenesis. Finally, phenotypes of various psychiatric disorders can be detected in hiPSC-derived neurons and the first models of hiPSC-based psychiatric illnesses are already reported.

LAMPROPOULOU Xristina