Molecular Mechanism of the Involvement of the Susceptibility Genes, DISC1, PACAP, TRAP1 and Dysbindin in Major Psychiatric Disorders Such as Schizophrenia, Depression and Bipolar Disease

No effective drugs are currently available for the treatment of mental diseases, primarily because the underlying mechanism of mental diseases have not been adequately explored at the molecular level. However, recent studies have examined several molecular cascades whose disturbances are associated with mental diseases such as schizophrenia, bipolar disease and major depression. The most common characteristics of these cascades us that they are all associated with neural circuit formation, suggesting that neurodevelopmental factors play a key role in the pathogenesis of mental diseases. The present review summarizes the available information on these molecular cascades and their association with mental disease.