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Updated: May 2, 2026

Developing a Rat Model for Bipolar Disorder
Published on: May 2, 2025
The immunology of bipolar disorder
Izabela Guimarães Barbosa1, Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, Jair C Soares
1Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica da Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
None:
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric condition associated with elevated frequency of clinical comorbidities and cognitive impairment. The neurobiology of BD is not completely understood. Recent evidence has implicated immune dysfunction in its physiopathology. Here, we review several data supporting the presence of immunological dysfunction in BD: (i) increased frequency of autoimmune diseases; (ii) distinct immune cell profile; (iii) release of/altered cytokines by stimulated mononuclear cells; (iv) elevated levels of circulating immune markers, and (v) inflammatory changes in the central nervous system. We also discuss the interplay between immunological dysfunction and neuroprogression in BD.
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