A blood test developed at the University of Haifa can diagnose bipolar disorder and predict lithium’s effectiveness in patients with the disorder, reports reports. jerusalem post.
The condition affects 1 percent of adults and usually appears between the ages of 15 and 19, rarely after the age of 40.
he bipolar disorderManic-depressive disorder, better known as manic-depressive disorder, causes dramatic and recurring changes in mood, from extreme joy and sadness to depression. It affects a person’s activity and concentration, making it difficult to perform everyday tasks.
The study was conducted by Dr Shani Stern recently published in a magazine molecular psychiatry.
“The test can diagnose bipolar disorder within a few days at relatively low cost and predict the efficacy of lithium, allowing psychiatrists to tailor the dose to individual circumstances,” he explained. stern.
His research team included students Liron Mizrahi and Ashwani Choudhury of Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa,cooperate with Dalhousie University exist Halifax, Canada and Salk Institute (La Jolla, CA).
stern He commented that since manic-depressive disorder closely resembles other disorders such as schizophrenia, there is a risk of misdiagnosis, at least in the early stages. In addition, it is currently impossible to know in advance whether lithium will help individual patients.
The study aimed to explore whether a blood test could be used to identify people with bipolar disorder and predict how effective lithium treatment would be for that person.
The researchers analyzed cells from three different populations: people without bipolar disorder; individuals with bipolar disorder who responded to lithium treatment; and others with the disease who did not respond to lithium .
During the first phase of the study, white blood cells isolated from all participants were examined; by infecting the cells with the EBV virus that causes mononucleosis, cell cultures that can be maintained long-term were produced. In the second phase, the researchers extracted RNA from the cells to see which genes were expressed in each population and to identify differentially expressed genes.
Research indicates 80% of gene expression differences are associated with expression of immunoglobulins, a major component of the immune system.
“The most important finding is that there are differences in the expression levels of the antibody receptor gene among patients with bipolar disorder; this could explain the high incidence of comorbidities. There are known associations between various psychiatric disorders and incidental morbidity sex,” he pointed out. stern.
Following their biological discovery, the researchers used Artificial intelligence computing model based on neural network. They also performed the same biological process using cells from other labs to confirm that the computational model also applied to cells analyzed in multiple labs.
The results of the mathematical model can predict with more than 90% accuracy whether a person has bipolar disorder and will respond to lithium treatment.
“This approach could allow people with mental illness to avoid months of suffering by adjusting appropriate medications,” he concluded. stern.
His laboratory utilizes molecular biology combined with biophysical, electrophysiological, and numerical simulation platforms to facilitate the use of induced pluripotent stem cell technology to reprogram adult cells from patients into pluripotent stem cells.
Derived human neurons share the same genetics as patients and are therefore excellent models for studying diseases and disorders of the human brain.The laboratory focuses on Bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s disease, and rare mutations that cause intellectual disability, epilepsy, and autism. By understanding the mechanisms of these diseases, he works to develop precision medicine programs and find biomarkers to better diagnose and predict diseases.
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