Trial begins to investigate efficacy of monoclonal antibody against schizophrenia

Natalizumab targets the microglial cells in the central nervous system which are overactive in people with multiple sclerosis and now found also to be overactive in people in the early stages of schizophrenia.

A two-year trial has begun to analyse the efficacy of a monoclonal antibody drug, currently used to treat multiple sclerosis, as a treatment for schizophrenia.

The trial, a collaboration between the Medical Research Council (MRC) and King’s College London, is based on emerging evidence that schizophrenia may be an immune disease. The drug, natalizumab, works by targeting microglia, a type of immune cell residing in the brain which are thought to be overactive in people at risk of developing schizophrenia and in the early stages of the disease.

Full Story:

More Info:

7 Likes

How do u feel about this? Is it supposed to be for everyone? I mean all sz or only those who have a particular genetic profile?

Remember that article a few months back where they put human sz glial cells into mice?

Maybe this treatment could normalize the glial cells.

Personally I wouldn’t think any one treatment would help everyone, the disease is too varied.

If it helps some people that will be a plus.

2 Likes

Do u remember how they went about normalizing the glial cells after having injected the mice with sz glial cells?

Is sz a software problem (faulty glial cells) or hardware (pruning)?

I don’t think they did normalize the mice, but at least one researcher mentioned the possibility, in the future, of replacing defective glial cells with healthy ones.

http://healthsciences.ku.dk/news/2017/07/new-research-uncovers-a-cause-of-schizophrenia/

My best guess is it’s a combination of factors, some people might have many, others few.

I googled it and microglia are a kind of glia, there are several types.

1 Like

thank you for posting @firemonkey .

I wonder if this is the treatment that my cousin is on. If so, you have to be tested to see if you have a certain virus. If you have that virus, you cannot get the treatment, as it is lethal.

I wish my brother had time to post here. He has MS.

This (link below) looks like it is a different drug of the same family, and in this case they are basing eligibility on high c reactive protien - so looks like maybe a disease profile based on inflammation.

A little different than the one above but still a monoclonal antibody treatment.

Probably not related but I had elevated white blood cell count two years ago. I was psychotic at the time. No infection or anything. It was a mystery.