Synaptic Pruning in Schizophrenia: Does Minocycline Modulate Psychosocial Brain Development?. (30th July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jones, Michael C.; Koh, Jin Ming; Cheong, Kang Hao
• Is Part Of: BioEssays. Volume 42:Number 9(2020:Sep.)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2020-07-30
• Subjects: drugs and controlled -- electronic health records -- mental health -- microglia -- minocycline -- schizophrenia -- substances; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; Cytology -- Periodicals; Developmental biology -- Periodicals; 572.8
• DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000046
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0265-9247

Abstract

Abstract: Recent studies suggest that the tetracycline antibiotic minocycline, or its cousins, hold therapeutic potential for affective and psychotic disorders. This is proposed on the basis of a direct effect on microglia‐mediated frontocortical synaptic pruning (FSP) during adolescence, perhaps in genetically susceptible individuals harboring risk alleles in the complement component cascade that is involved in this normal process of CNS circuit refinement. In reviewing this field, it is argued that minocycline is actually probing and modulating a deeply evolved and intricate system wherein psychosocial stimuli sculpt the circuitry of the "social brain" underlying adult behavior and personality. Furthermore, this system can generate psychiatric morbidity that is not dependent on genetic variation. This view has important ramifications for understanding "pathologies" of human social behavior and cognition as well as providing long‐sought potential mechanistic links between social experience and susceptibility to mental and physical disease. Abstract : Recent studies on the unexpected effects of minocycline, used to treat severe acne, on microglia and synaptic pruning in schizophrenia reveal novel evolutionary and adaptive implications of microglial function in social behavior and emotional functioning, and point to long‐sought mechanistic links between psychosocial status and physical illnesses.