Elucidation of molecular and neural-circuit mechanisms of stress susceptibility related to mental illnesses
Description: Stress due to social and environmental stimuli promotes mental illnesses including depression. However, since the mechanism of stress remains elusive, a pharmaceutical strategy targeting stress has not been established. In this study, using repeated social defeat stress, a mouse model of depression, we showed that short-term stress activates dopamine receptors in excitatory neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex and promotes stress resilience, whereas long-term stress activates microglia through innate immune molecules and induces depression-like behaviors. Therefore, this study proposes novel strategies to promote stress resilience for the therapeutic treatment of mental illnesses.
Amount: ¥26,520,000
Funding type: fellowship
Funder scheme: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
Start date: 2012-04-01
End date: 2016-03-31
Investigator: Tomoyuki FURUYASHIKI
Institution: Kobe University(2014-2015)Kyoto University(2012-2013)
Funded outputs count: 15
Funder award ID: 24689015
OpenAlex ID: G2142829398