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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Derivation, Expansion, Cryopreservation and Characterization of Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
08:04

Derivation, Expansion, Cryopreservation and Characterization of Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: November 19, 2020

Gene expression analysis implicates a death receptor pathway in schizophrenia pathology.

Vibeke Sørensen Catts1, Cynthia Shannon Weickert

  • 1Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. v.catts@NeuRA.edu.au

Plos One
|May 1, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Schizophrenia brain tissue shows increased expression of Tumor Necrosis Factor Superfamily member 13 (TNFSF13) and elevated FAS receptor levels, suggesting a role in neuropathology. These changes were specific to schizophrenia and not found in bipolar disorder.

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Obtaining High Quality RNA from Single Cell Populations in Human Postmortem Brain Tissue
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Published on: August 6, 2009

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Last Updated: May 22, 2026

Derivation, Expansion, Cryopreservation and Characterization of Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
08:04

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Published on: November 19, 2020

Obtaining High Quality RNA from Single Cell Populations in Human Postmortem Brain Tissue
18:17

Obtaining High Quality RNA from Single Cell Populations in Human Postmortem Brain Tissue

Published on: August 6, 2009

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Neuropathology in schizophrenia may involve increased apoptotic events.
  • Previous data-mining identified altered death receptor signaling pathways in schizophrenia's dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To confirm and replicate mRNA expression changes of FAS receptor and TNFSF13 in schizophrenia.
  • To assess the regional and diagnostic specificity of these changes in the orbital frontal cortex (OFC) and in bipolar disorder patients.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to measure mRNA levels.
  • Tissue samples from DLPFC and OFC of schizophrenia patients, bipolar disorder patients, and controls were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Significantly increased TNFSF13 mRNA expression was confirmed in the DLPFC of schizophrenia patients.
  • A higher proportion of schizophrenia subjects showed elevated FAS receptor expression in the DLPFC compared to controls.
  • These alterations were not observed in bipolar disorder patients or in the OFC.
  • Decreased BH3 interacting domain death agonist (BID) mRNA was found in both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder groups in both brain regions.

Conclusions:

  • Increased TNFSF13 expression is implicated in schizophrenia neuropathology.
  • While TNFSF13 expression correlates with lower brain pH, a causal relationship is not established.
  • These findings highlight cell-death cytokine abnormalities in schizophrenia's brain pathology.