Preclinical epigenetic models for screening epigenetic drugs for schizophrenia

Abstract

Schizophrenia is an important psychiatric disorder for which effective drugs are available. However, there are problems with current drug therapy of schizophrenia in that some patients do not respond adequately. Moreover, some patients show treatment resistance and some patients show cognitive decline despite treatment. Hence new and effective drugs will be useful for the treatment of this disorder. Since there is increasing evidence that epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression are defective in schizophrenia, drugs that correct epigenetic defects, epigenetic drugs, could be useful in the treatment of this disorder. This paper discusses preclinical epigenetic models for screening epigenetic drugs for schizophrenia. It also discusses how such models could be useful for the discovery and development of such drugs.