Epigenetic modifications in schizophrenia: diagnostic and therapeutic implications

Vanessa Alexandra Pinto Monteiro; José Manuel Baptista Cabeda

doi:10.62741/ahrj.v3i1.121

Authors

Vanessa Monteiro Escola Superior de Saúde Fernando Pessoa,Porto, Portugal https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0790-9839
José Cabeda FP-I3ID, FP-BHS,Escola Superior de Saúde Fernando Pessoa; Rise Health; UNIRESP - Unidade de Investigação de Reabilitação, Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública, Porto-Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5117-2326

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62741/ahrj.v3i1.121

Keywords:

Epigenetic, Neurological Diseases, Schizophrenia

Abstract

Introduction: Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. In recent years, epigenetic mechanisms have gained attention due to their role in gene expression regulation and diagnostic potential, offering the possibility of early detection and personalized diagnosis through molecular profiling. This paper focuses on recent advances in this matter, referencing the most up-to-date evidence and emerging epigenetic targets that are significant into informing future diagnostic tools and personalized interventions.
Objectives: The present paper aims to map the key epigenetic changes observed in schizophrenia focusing on it’s implications in diagnosis as well as it’s biomarkers relevance.
Methodology: ScienceDirect and Pubmed Databases were searched using the keywords Epigenetic, Neurological diseases and Schizophrenia, focusing on the last five years. Papers were selected on the basis of their abstract content discarding papers not relevant to the theme, focused on pharmaceutical sciences or specifically about other neurological diseases. References were managed using Zotero.
Results: Searches resulted in a total of 461 articles of which 32 were selected (3 from Science Direct and 29 from Pubmed).
Conclusion: Epigenetic alterations play a critical role in schizophrenia. DNA methylation, of DISK1, BDNF, COMT and RELN genes, and histone modifications have been shown to contribute to the development and progression of schizophrenia, providing valuable clues for diagnosis and potential therapeutic targets.

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