Patient-Derived Support Cells Stunt Mouse Brain Development – National Institute of Mental Health

A newly released study suggests that some cases of schizophrenia may be caused by “an illness process rooted in wayward support cells instead of the neurons they sustain.” The brains of mice were grafted with glial cells generated from patients from childhood-onset schizophrenia, resulting in the development of “anxiety-like behaviors, antisocial tendencies, sleep-disturbances, and a lack of motivation.” The results suggest that schizophrenia-affected brains “mature sufficiently and failed to create a proper network to support neurons.” Read more.