Antipsychotics Side Effects

It has been known for a long time that in cases of schizophrenia or bipolar disorders various human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) are more significantly activated. Yet that this stimulation can in part be caused by treating the patients with antipsychotic drugs now was shown for the first time by the team around Prof. Dr Christine Leib-Mösch at the Helmholtz Zentrum München. The scientists assume that the drugs may influence the gene expression in some types of HERVs by way of so-called epigenetic effects. "On principle, drugs ought to be examined also with respect to whether they cause epigenetic changes in the target cells. Not only endogenous retroviruses, but also cellular genes may be activated or inactivated and thereby potentially cause serious side effects", explains Leib-Mösch.

Further Information:

www.helmholtz.de/muenchen-antipsychotika

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