Translating potential biomarker candidates for schizophrenia and depression to animal models of psychiatric disorders

Abstract

Schizophrenia and major depressive disorder are severe mental illnesses, which are diagnosed based on patient interviews. Despite many years of extensive research, scientists have not yet fully deciphered how genetic and environmental factors interact to cause these illnesses. Biomarker tests that can confirm diagnoses of schizophrenia or depression are only now beginning to emerge, and could result in a paradigm shift in this field. These tests will help to evaluate the validity of animal models of psychiatric disorders, which are currently characterized based on behavioral measures. In this article, we explore the utility of translating both behavioral and molecular phenotypes of such models to the corresponding human disorders. This approach may help to provide construct validity to animal models and could lead to the identification of models corresponding to defined subtypes of neuropsychiatric disorders based on molecular profiles. Here, we review the molecular and biological pathway alterations that have been found in animal models of schizophrenia and depression and focus on those that are mirrored by similar abnormalities in human patients. Such parallels may provide insight into the validity of specific animal models and therefore help to provide more valuable and accurate tools for the discovery and development of improved psychiatric medications.

Keywords::

• animal models
• construct validity
• depression
• schizophrenia
• translation

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The research was supported by the IMI NEWMEDS European Framework Programme (FP7), the European Union FP7 SchizDX research programme (grant reference 223427) and the Stanley Medical Research Institute (SMRI). Murtada Alsaif was funded by a scholarship from the Ministry of Higher Education, Saudi Arabia. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.