Could Glial Cells Be the Key to New Schizophrenia Treatments?

"Anyone living with schizophrenia understands the true limitations of current treatment options. Antipsychotics remain the single leading treatment for the disorder, and they are riddled with undesirable side effects. Weight gain, tardive dyskinesia, and excessive drowsiness are a few. Much research is devoted to expanding the range of medication options, and few academics have pursued other avenues. However, there is a possibility that treatment for schizophrenia can be approached through cellular methods if long-term research validates early signs of hope."

"In the brain, many different cells and systems work together to promote function. For example, neurons, specialized cells that are central to brain structure, are important for transferring information to other cells. Other cells, such as glial cells, support the function of neurons. Neuroscience has often painted glial cells as the glue that holds neurons together, but glial cells can also be helpful in promoting neuronal health, enhancing neuronal immune response, among other neuronal-enhancing functions."

"The brains of people with schizophrenia are biologically different. Not only do they have alterations in their dopaminergic functions (a neurotransmitter related to reward, sleep regulation, and more), but evidence has shown that there are fewer glial cells in the brains of people with schizophrenia. Examinations of postmortem subjects have observed that glial cells are seen to have a significant reduction in presence in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), responsible for healthy cognitive skills."

Antipsychotic medications provide the primary treatment for schizophrenia but often cause weight gain, tardive dyskinesia, and drowsiness. Multiple brain cell types coordinate to support neural function, with neurons transmitting information and glial cells promoting neuronal health and immune responses. People with schizophrenia show biological brain differences including dopaminergic alterations and a reduction in glial cells. Postmortem studies report fewer glial cells in the prefrontal cortex, a region key for cognitive skills. Loss of glial support can lead to neuronal decline and cognitive impairments. Therapies that target glial cells show promise as potential new treatment avenues but require substantial long-term research validation.

Read at Psychology Today