https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-10-extra-large-synapses-schizophrenia.amp
Summary:
The web page reports on a study that found a link between extra-large synapses and schizophrenia. Synapses are the connections between neurons that allow them to communicate. The researchers used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls to create neurons in the lab. They found that the neurons from schizophrenia patients had larger and more numerous synapses than the neurons from healthy controls. They also found that these extra-large synapses were associated with increased activity of a protein called ephrin-B3, which regulates synaptic development and function. The researchers suggest that ephrin-B3 could be a potential therapeutic target for schizophrenia, as reducing its activity could normalize synaptic size and number. The study was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry1.