Project Summary

Marc Flajolet, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2006) of Rockefeller University, plans to study a modulator of the dopaminergic pathway as a new target to treat schizophrenia. Dopamine, a key neurotransmitter, plays an important role in schizophrenia. Indeed, all schizophrenia drugs have some antagonistic action against the D2 receptor dopamine receptor. While these treatments help many patients, side effects are numerous and many patients fail to respond. Dr. Flajolet hypothesizes other cellular targets may exist that antagonize the D2 signaling pathway without targeting the D2 receptor itself. Such targets would avoid the side effects caused by long-term D2 receptor neutralization. Adenosine, another important neurotransmitter that acts on the A2A receptor pathway, antagonizes the D2 pathway. Dr. Flajolet will search for proteins that interact with A2AR that could modulate D2 signaling. Finding A2AR regulatory proteins that could modulate D2 receptor signaling and developing strategies to alter such protein-receptor interactions should facilitate the development of novel therapeutic treatments for schizophrenia.

Program Area: SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS\Schizophrenia

Search Again