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The best-laid plans go oft awry: synaptogenic growth factor signaling in neuropsychiatric disease
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The best-laid plans go oft awry: synaptogenic growth factor signaling in neuropsychiatric disease

Aislinn J Williams and Hisashi Umemori
Frontiers in synaptic neuroscience, Vol.6, pp.4-4
2014
DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2014.00004
PMCID: PMC3957327
PMID: 24672476
url
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsyn.2014.00004View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Growth factors play important roles in synapse formation. Mouse models of neuropsychiatric diseases suggest that defects in synaptogenic growth factors, their receptors, and signaling pathways can lead to disordered neural development and various behavioral phenotypes, including anxiety, memory problems, and social deficits. Genetic association studies in humans have found evidence for similar relationships between growth factor signaling pathways and neuropsychiatric phenotypes. Accumulating data suggest that dysfunction in neuronal circuitry, caused by defects in growth factor-mediated synapse formation, contributes to the susceptibility to multiple neuropsychiatric diseases, including epilepsy, autism, and disorders of thought and mood (e.g., schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, respectively). In this review, we will focus on how specific synaptogenic growth factors and their downstream signaling pathways might be involved in the development of neuropsychiatric diseases.
growth factor Neuroscience synapse psychiatry mental illness synaptogenesis

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