POSTER

1Department of

Neurobiology, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB2 4AT, UK; ²Department

of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge CB2

The

etiology and pathophysiological abnormalities associated with schizophrenia

remain largely unknown and diagnostic approaches to the disorder are currently

slow, subjective and symptom-based.  The aim of our study is to identify

peripheral markers of the disease in blood cells from schizophrenia patients and

to investigate potential immunological disturbances associated with the

disease.  We are currently isolating T-cells (CD3-positive selection) from

schizophrenia patients and controls using FACS analysis and employing high

throughput microarray screening to identify differential gene expression between

schizophrenia and control samples.  Although we have encouraging preliminary

data, we are still in the process of optimizing the experimental approach and we

are trying to improve on the purity of the isolated cell populations. 

Additionally we are employing high throughput 2D gel proteomic investigation for

differential protein expression in erythrocytes. The hope is to compare and

correlate results from peripheral studies with those obtained from our brain

studies in order to explore a potential systemic/peripheral component to the