TRANSGENIC ANIMAL MODEL OF MOOD DISORDERS

摘要

A non-human transgenic animal having a polynucleotide encoding a PTN polypeptide, which polynucleotide is operably linked to a promoter, wherein said transgenic animal has greater than wild-type expression of the PTN polypeptide in at least one brain region, as well as related vectors, methods of producing transgenic animals, in vitro and in vivo screening methods for potential therapeutic agents, and methods for treating and diagnosing neuropsychiatric illnesses, particularly anxiety and depression, are disclosed.

主权项

1. A method of assessing the presence of or susceptibility to anxiety and/or depression, in a human test subject, comprising:
detecting and/or determining the amount of a Pleiotrophin (PTN) polypeptide in a sample which has been obtained from said test subject; and comparing said amount of the PTN polypeptide with one or more reference values corresponding to the amount of the PTN polypeptide in a control sample obtained from a control subject not having a neuropsychiatric illness, wherein an increase of at least 10% in said amount of the PTN polypeptide in the sample which has been obtained from said test subject compared to said reference value indicates the presence of or susceptibility to anxiety and/or depression in the subject, and wherein said sample is selected from the group consisting of: blood, plasma, serum, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and central nervous system tissue.