Animal models in the genomic era: possibilities and limitations with special emphasis on schizophrenia

Although the advances in molecular genetics have revolutionized many areas of the life sciences, they have, so far, been of limited use in the development of animal models for brain diseases. This is due to the fact that the genetics of most neurological and psychiatric diseases are highly complex, presumably involving multiple genes, most of which are still unknown. Moreover, in many brain diseases, non-genetic factors also play an important role. This leads to a general model in which several genetic factors interact with a number of early and late environmental factors, ultimately culminating in the disease. We have tried to illustrate how the existing genetic and environmental models for schizophrenia fit into this general etiological scheme, and how these models can be further improved by focusing specifically on the interaction between genetic and environmental factors.