CRMP-2 tied to lithium response in bipolar disorder

A study led by researchers from the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute showed that collapsin response mediator protein-2 (DPYSL2; CRMP-2) is tied to the lithium-response pathway in bipolar disorder. The scientists suggest that the target could be used to develop a diagnostic for drug responsiveness and more effective treatments. Authors of the paper, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, included researchers from Yokohama City University, Harvard Medical School and University of California San Diego.

In human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from patients with bipolar disorder, the authors showed that lithium lowers phosphorylation of CRMP-2. In brains of bipolar disorder patients not treated with lithium, the authors found increased phosphorylated CRMP-2 levels and decreased dendritic spine density compared with brains of lithium-treated patients, suggesting the target's role in dendritic branching and spine organization. In animal models of lithium-responsive bipolar disorder, inhibiting phosphorylation of the target led to improvements in behavior...