Grant: Operating Grant

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a serious mental illness that will affect approximately 1% of Canadians at some point in their lifetime. It is a chronic condition and symptoms evolve over time. Although the prevailing theory is that this disorder results from abnormal brain development, new evidence suggests that brain pathology gets progressively worse over the course of the illness. The cause of these ongoing changes has not yet been identified. We propose that inflammation is present in the brains of individuals with SCZ and is involved in the evolving brain pathology observed in this disorder. Inflammation can lead to behavioural changes, such as alterations in mood and cognition. In addition, brain inflammation is known to result in pathology similar to that observed in chronic SCZ patients. Although markers of inflammation have been found in the blood of patients with SCZ, it is not yet clear whether inflammation is also present in the brains of these individuals. While our preliminary evidence suggests that this is the case, further studies are required. We therefore propose to carry out a comprehensive study of markers of brain inflammation, including measurement of microglial cells, cytokines, complement protein and transcription factors, in post-mortem brain tissue obtained from individuals with SCZ and from non-psychiatric controls. These studies will advance our understanding of the pathology of this disorder and could provide new targets for medications.