Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2005

Mentor: Subroto Ghose
Department: Psychiatry
Room number: NC5112C
Mail Code: 9070
Phone number: 214-648-1425
E-mail: Subroto.ghose@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title: Glutamate markers in the hippocampus in schizophrenia

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): N/A

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): N/A

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)

Basic Research

Brief Description of Project: Schizophrenia is a chronic psychotic brain disease. The cause of schizophrenia is still unknown. We do, however, know that the hippocampus plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In humans, the administration of ketamine (NMDA receptor antagonist) induces psychosis similar to that seen in schizophrenia. Neuroimaging during ketamine administration reveals that the hippocampus is an important structure that may mediate this effect. This and other evidence implicates the glutamate system in schizophrenia. We have undertaken a project to examine specific molecular markers of the glutamatergic system in post mortem hippocampal tissue. This project is designed to determine the distribution of the markers in the normal hippocampus and make comparisons to the schizophrenic hippocampus. Techniques will include in situ hybridization studies to detect mRNA expression patterns and western blotting to examine protein levels. We will also determine the effect of certain genetic polymorphisms on these expression profiles.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

(Medical student in bold)

Ghose S., Bartus C.L., Sherman T.G., Crook J., Hyde T.M., Kleinman J.E. and Akil, M. (2001) Gene expression of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors in the human prefrontal cortex and ventral mesencephalon of patients with schizophrenia and matched normal controls Abstract, 40th Annual Meeting, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Waikoloa, Hawaii.

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