The Hodge Foundation Annual Meeting Public Lecture

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Hosted by Cardiff University’s Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and System Immunity Research Institute.

At 5:30pm there will be a Public Lecture with Professor Urs Meyer, University of Zurich.

Microglia and Schizophrenia: Scientific Hype or Therapeutic Hope?

The idea that microglial abnormalities might play a role in the aetiology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia has attained increasing attention in recent years. A prevalent hypothesis is that microglial hyperactivity may alter the normal course of brain development and maturation. Moreover, it has been postulated that microglial hyperactivity in schizophrenia may influence the clinical course of the disease and affect the severity of symptoms in patients.

microWhile these hypotheses seem neurobiologically plausible, they appear to be based on equivocal evidence. This lecture will highlight current controversies and prospects of preclinical and clinical research on microglia in schizophrenia, thereby discussing (i) why microglial cells have become so attractive in this research field, (ii) whether scientists and clinicians assess and interpret presumed microglia dysfunctions in schizophrenia meaningfully, (iii) whether microglial hypoactivity, rather than or in addition to microglial hyperactivity, may be pathologically and therapeutically relevant for schizophrenia as well, and (iv) whether other CNS-resident or -infiltrating immune cells may play a role the aetiology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia.