Proteomics as a New Tool for Biomarker-Discovery in Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Abstract

Despite recent advances in our understanding of the neurobiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, most neuropsychiatric disorders remain clinical diagnoses that are based on the presence of a typical symptom-constellation as well as a typical time-course. Technical and laboratory examinations are frequently used to exclude other CNS-etiologies, such as tumor, infection, intoxication or epilepsy. However, only few biomarkers exist to assist in the differential diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders. Proteomics describes the study of the structure and function of proteins with respect to the complement of proteins in a cell or an organism. New technical developments have made it possible to identify thousands of proteins in different tissues and body-fluids, including blood, urine and CSF. Thus proteomics offers a new approach for the identification of biomarkers for neuropsychiatric disorders. Potential applications of proteomics include the differential diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders, the identification of subtypes of neuropsychiatric disorders, predictors of treatment response as well as early measures of treatment response. Based on preliminary studies using proteomics in neuropsychiatric disorders (in particular schizophrenia and Alzheimer Disease), we will review the potential impact of this new technology for research into neuropsychiatric disorders.