SCHIZO project
The aim of the project
The aim of the project is to develop biomarkers and methods to support, rationalize and accelerate the discovery and development of novel drugs for the treatment of psychotic disorders. As a result more effective drugs with fewer side effects than the existing ones can be put on the market.
The project consists of three tasks with the following goals:
-
To establish a disease based biobank (named SCHIZOBANK) collecting both phenotypical and environmental data and biological materials from schizophrenic patients. It will be applied for the identification of genes and genetic variations that influence disease susceptibility. In addition it will be also used to find biomarkers, which speed up the diagnosis of the disease and help monitor the drugs' effect.
-
The aim of this task is to reveal different relations between the symptoms and the treatment of schizophrenia at the molecular level by using the arsenal of the systems biology approach. We will identify biological and clinical predictors (biomarkers) of patient response and adverse side-effect profile during antipsychotic drug treatment.
-
In this task we will determine markers and pathways of the metabolic syndrome adverse effect of antipsychotic in humans, in rodent experimental model systems, as well as in vitro cellular systems. The effect of prototypic antipsychotic drugs will be examined in these models and signatures of drug effects as well as mechanisms of action will be identified.
Members of the consortium
-
UD-GenoMed Medical Genomic Technologies Research and Development and Service providing Ltd.
-
Richter Gedeon Chemical factory Plc.
-
Kripto Research and Development Ltd.
-
University of Debrecen
-
Hungarian Clinical Neurogenetic Society
Sections of work
1. To establish schizophrenia biobank
2. To identify schizophrenia and treatment-related molecular markers
3.1. Metabolic syndrome of the psychiatric disorders patients with AAP treatment: identify marker
3.2.-3.6. Metabolic syndrome of the psychiatric disorders patients with AAP treatment: identify marker: molecular mechanism research
Results
The above-mentioned stages of the professional background of clinical sample collection (quality assurance, determination of methodologies), as well as the infrastructure is completed, and we started filling the biobank. The peripheral blood of schizophrenic patients transcripts, proteomics and metabolomics analysis is in progress, caused by antipsychotic drugs of the side markers of metabolic syndrome, defined rodent samples is also underway.
Update 12.2010: Based on annual report 2010, closer the halftime of project, the results are convincing. The background of clinical sample preparation and collection, the follow-up of sample collection, the creation and continuous upload of clinical database, and the quality assurance requirements are ready to go. The hardware and software infrastructure of biobank have been set up, and connect to international biobank databases. Sample collection of patients processes according to plan, more than 300 samples are already collected by assign clinics.
In the point of our success we look forward positively in the future and ready to work on the year 2011!
Contact
Dr. Gábor Zahuczky
Chief executive officer
Contact us!
|