Prominent synaptic and metabolic abnormalities revealed by proteomic analysis of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

There is evidence for both similarity and distinction in the presentation and molecular characterization of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In this study, we characterized protein abnormalities in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Tissue samples were obtained from 35 individuals with schizophrenia, 35 with bipolar disorder and 35 controls. Eleven protein spots in schizophrenia and 48 in bipolar disorder were found to be differentially expressed (P<0.01) in comparison to controls, with 7 additional spots found to be altered in both diseases. Using mass spectrometry, 15 schizophrenia-associated proteins and 51 bipolar disorder-associated proteins were identified. The functional groups most affected included synaptic proteins (7 of the 15) in schizophrenia and metabolic or mitochondrial-associated proteins (25 of the 51) in bipolar disorder. Six of seven synaptic-associated proteins abnormally expressed in bipolar disorder were isoforms of the septin family, while two septin protein spots were also significantly differentially expressed in schizophrenia. This finding represented the largest number of abnormalities from one protein family. All septin protein spots were upregulated in disease in comparison to controls. This study provides further characterization of the synaptic pathology present in schizophrenia and of the metabolic dysfunction observed in bipolar disorder. In addition, our study has provided strong evidence implicating the septin protein family of proteins in psychiatric disorders for the first time

Subcutaneous adipose tissue-derived stem cells: advancement and applications in regenerative medicine

Stem cell research has been hailed for its potential to revolutionize the field of regenerative medicine with the ability to regenerate damaged and diseased organs. In addition to offering unprecedented hope in treating many debilitating diseases, stem cells have advanced our understanding of basic biological processes. Intense study on stem cells in the past decade has kindled worthy knowledge about developmental, morphological, and physiological processes that form the basis of tissue and organ formation, maintenance, repair, and regeneration. Today’s medicine generally tries to support or treat injured tissues and organs, but stem cells simply replace them. Stem cell research is complicated and rapidly changing. The correlation of stem cell technology with tissue repair still has a long way to go. Since embryonic stem cells are a thorn inside when it comes to the ethics of therapeutics, stem cells isolated from adult tissues sidestep this issue entirely and have become a potent contemporary source of stem cells for tissue repair and regeneration. Conceptually and from a practical standpoint, the bone marrow has been the most influential source of stem cells that offers a possibility of being used in a wide range of therapeutics. Clinical situations frequently demand stem cells with dependable quality and quantity to treat disorders of cellular degeneration. Challenges to bring advances to the clinical mount have expanded rapidly, engendering new perspectives concerning the identity, origin, and full therapeutic potential of various tissue-specific stem cells