Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 9, 2025
10:32
Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
Published on: April 23, 2014
18.6K
Kalirin as a Novel Treatment Target for Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia
Arne W Mould1,2, Noura Al-Juffali3,4, Annette von Delft5
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. arne.mould@psych.ox.ac.uk.
CNS Drugs
|December 20, 2021
Summary
Targeting kalirin, a protein influencing synaptic plasticity, may offer new treatments for schizophrenia
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia is a significant unmet clinical need.
- Kalirin (encoded by KALRN gene) regulates synaptic function via Rho GTPase pathways.
- Kalirin's role in brain function and potential therapeutic applications in schizophrenia are under investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of kalirin's functions in brain.
- To explore kalirin's therapeutic potential for schizophrenia.
- To highlight key questions for advancing kalirin as a therapeutic target.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on kalirin's roles in brain function.
- Analysis of genomic and post-mortem data implicating kalirin in schizophrenia.
- Examination of evidence from transgenic mouse models of brain function.
Main Results:
- Kalirin, through distinct isoforms, regulates synapse formation and stabilization.
- Genomic and post-mortem studies link kalirin to schizophrenia.
- Transgenic mouse models support kalirin's role in dendritic spine plasticity.
Conclusions:
- Targeting kalirin and Rho GEFs offers a strategy to modulate 'undruggable' GTPases.
- Kalirin presents therapeutic potential for schizophrenia.
- Further research is needed on kalirin isoform diversity, neurodevelopmental changes, and in vivo effects.
More Related Videos
07:04A High-performance Liquid Chromatography Measurement of Kynurenine and Kynurenic Acid: Relating Biochemistry to Cognition and Sleep in Rats
Published on: August 19, 2018
10.7K
09:06Stereotactic Injection of MicroRNA-expressing Lentiviruses to the Mouse Hippocampus CA1 Region and Assessment of the Behavioral Outcome
Published on: June 10, 2013
23.1K
Related Concept Videos
01:30Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists
230
Cognitive enhancers, also known as "smart drugs," are substances used to enhance memory, mental alertness, and concentration. These can be natural or synthetic and improve cognition in conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Some common examples include caffeine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, modafinil, arecoline, donepezil, vortioxetine, and piracetam. These enhancers work on the principle of synaptic plasticity and altered circuit function.
230
01:28Drug Therapy
114
The advent of drug therapy has profoundly shaped modern mental health care, providing targeted treatments for a range of psychological disorders. Psychotherapeutic drugs, classified into antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications, address symptoms across anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. While these medications have transformed patient outcomes, they require careful management due to their potential side effects and limitations.
Antianxiety Medications
Antianxiety Medications
114
01:22Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
287
Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder, is pathologically identified by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of tau protein. AD pharmacotherapy aims to manage cognitive symptoms, delay disease progression, and treat behavioral symptoms. The treatment is primarily symptomatic and palliative, with no definitive disease-modifying therapy available. Cholinesterase inhibitors, including donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Razadyne), are...
287
02:30siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs
17.2K
Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, are short regulatory RNA molecules that can silence genes post-transcriptionally, as well as the transcriptional level in some cases. siRNAs are important for protecting cells against viral infections and silencing transposable genetic elements.
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the...
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the...
17.2K
01:26Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
253
Antipsychotic drugs are a crucial treatment method for acute and chronic psychoses, bipolar illness, and behavioral disorders. The selection of these drugs depends on several factors, including the state of the disease, clinical judgment, possible drug interactions, and the patient's sensitivity to adverse effects. In immediate scenarios, such as delirium and dementia, short-term treatment with low doses of high-potency typical or atypical agents can effectively manage symptom exacerbation.
253
01:30Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
140
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia indicate a reduction or absence of typical behaviors and emotional responses found in healthy individuals, while positive symptoms reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning.
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
140