Translational Psychiatry

Description

The research group is created due to the need to investigate, from a biomedical and translational point of view, neuropsychiatric diseases in general and ​affective disorders and psychosis (ADPs) in particular. ​ADPs are the most frequent and severe psychiatric disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis).

Our main scientific goal is the study of the pathophysiological mechanisms in affective disorders and psychosis. Providing tools for the better diagnosis of ​ADP​s pathologies, their staging and the identification of special subgroups within the ​ADP​s pathologies on one side, and evaluating from a basic-clinical perspective the possibilities of identifying potential therapeutic targets and identifying potential biological markers of interest in ​ADP​s related processes.

Specific goals

1. Staging of depression and development of assisting systems for the clinical decision-making based on it.
2. Specific study of mental disorders in advanced age.
3. Search for potential biomarkers of trait/state in ​ADP​s in relation to multiple intra and intercellular pathways of interest.
4. Study of potential neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs in animal models of depression and psychosis.
5. Study of the anti-inflammatory / neuroprotective profile of perivascular macrophages in animal models of depression and psychosis and of their potential pharmacological modulation.
6. Study of the role of certain chemokines in experimental models of ​ADP​s and in biological samples obtained from patients.