A study conducted in partnership with the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), and State University of Campinas (Unicamp), published in the scientific journal Cell & Bioscience demonstrated protein alterations in the nervous system that may be involved in the onset of schizophrenia. 

The researchers used three experimental models to evaluate schizophrenia in a nervous environment, known as non-differentiated cells from people with schizophrenia, young neurons, and brain organoids, the last one having a biological profile and structural organization similar to the human brain. Thus, it was possible to observe that the protein production pathways are impacted by the disease in different models. 

During the analyses, around 6 thousand proteins were identified, and among them, 1163 showed altered amounts in these samples. Because of this, molecules and essential processes for the formation of proteins were reduced or defective, which could cause damage to development processes, such as growth, cell maturation, and the generation of synapses, in other words, changes in neuronal communications. 

In previous studies using posthumous patient’s brains, similar data to those presented in the experimental models of the current study were also found. This fact demonstrates that in vitro study is able to represent events similar to the brain of patients and consolidates the assumption that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopment-related disease. 

The use of structures, such as brain organoids, is a very representative mechanism for neural disease studies since it’s impracticable to obtain brain samples from living patients. The organoids produced in the laboratory have behavior and organization similar to the human brain organ. 

The researchers highlight that with increased research and investment, this experimental model could aid in the development of individual treatments for patients with schizophrenia. With organoids, it would be possible to understand the behavior of the disease for each patient and evaluate the use of treatments and medications in a personalized way for the individual. In addition, they could be used to develop methods to identify the disease in its early stages. The next step in this study is to assess whether changing levels of specific proteins, similar to levels in the control group, could reverse disease progression.