Abstract

Clinically useful biomarkers are available for some neuropsychiatric disorders like fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, and Huntington’s disease. Despite many decades of research on the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders like schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD), the exact pathogenesis of these disorders remains unclear, and there are no clinically useful biomarkers for these disorders. However, there is increasing evidence that abnormal epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression contribute to the pathogenesis of SZ, BD, and MDD. Both systems (or network) biology and epigenetics (a component of systems biology) attempt to make sense of biological systems that are highly dynamic and multi-compartmental. This article suggests that systems biology, emphasizing the epigenetic component of systems biology, could help identify clinically useful biomarkers in neuropsychiatric disorders like SZ, BD, and MDD.

Highlights

  • A biomarker, a short form for biological marker, has been defined as a feature that is objectively quantified and evaluated as an indicator of normal biological processes, pathological processes, or a pharmacological response to a therapeutic intervention (Biomarkers Definitions Working Group, 2001)

  • Clinically useful biomarkers are available for several medical disorders, as well as neuropsychiatric disorders like fragile X syndrome (FXS), Huntington’s disease (HD), and Rett syndrome (RTT), there are at present none available for neuropsychiatric disorders like schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD) (Davis et al, 2015; Kruse et al, 2017)

  • The current article discusses the possible use of systems biology in the identification of biomarkers for neuropsychiatric disorders like SZ, BD, and MDD

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Summary

Jacob Peedicayil *

Useful biomarkers are available for some neuropsychiatric disorders like fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, and Huntington’s disease. Despite many decades of research on the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders like schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD), the exact pathogenesis of these disorders remains unclear, and there are no clinically useful biomarkers for these disorders. There is increasing evidence that abnormal epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression contribute to the pathogenesis of SZ, BD, and MDD. Both systems (or network) biology and epigenetics (a component of systems biology) attempt to make sense of biological systems that are highly dynamic and multi-compartmental. This article suggests that systems biology, emphasizing the epigenetic component of systems biology, could help identify clinically useful biomarkers in neuropsychiatric disorders like SZ, BD, and MDD

INTRODUCTION
Types of Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Reductionism in Neuropsychiatric Disorders
The Role of Epigenetics in Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Difficulties in Identifying Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Hypomethylated MAOA gene
Systems Biology and Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Concluding Remarks

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