Project Summary

Jens R. Wendland, M.D. (Young Investigator 2007) of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH/NIH), will study the serotonin pathway, an important mechanism that has been shown to be involved in depression and aggressive behavior. Dr. Wendland aims at identifying novel variants in a gene (Fev) of the serotonin pathway. This gene can be viewed as a key regulator gene that coordinates and controls the expression of other serotonin pathway genes in individual brain neurons. Dr. Wendland hypothesizes this gene to be potentially involved in the genetic basis for bipolar disorder on the basis of animal experiments showing strong behavioral abnormalities such as anxiety and aggression in mice lacking the Fev-equivalent gene. This study bears the potential to significantly advance the understanding of the biological mechanisms of mood and anxiety disorders, which might then lead to better diagnostic tools, prediction of individual treatment response or even development of novel drugs.

Program Area: MOOD DISORDERS\Bipolar

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