A laboratory for multidisciplinary research

The Unit for Research in Schizophrenia (URS) was established in 1999 at the Centre for Psychiatric Neuroscience (Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital), with the support of the Faculty of Medicine and local health authorities. 

Its location on the site of the psychiatric hospital of Cery allows close collaboration with psychiatrists (Service of General Psychiatry, Section "Eugène Minkovski"). Given the complexity of the issues at stake, the URS depends on team work involving specialists in several basic disciplines (genetic and molecular biology, neurochemistry, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, statistics, behavioural science, etc.) and professionals in direct contact with patients (psychiatrists, psychologists, radiologists specialized in brain imaging, etc.). The collaboration between researchers and clinicians is crucial to achieve significant progress, and facilitates the essential participation of patients in the research process. 
 

An innovative and promising research hypothesis

The activities of the URS are focused on identifying neurobiological factors likely to further the risk of being affected by schizophrenia. In short, the objective is to discover biological factors of vulnerability in patients - such as abnormal genes and/or enzymes - and, on that basis, to develop new treatments and ultimately preventive measures. 

This objective is founded on a hypothesis formulated in 1993 by Professor Kim Q. Do Cuénod and Professor Michel Cuénod, according to which patients suffering from schizophrenia show a significant vulnerability factor: a genetic abnormality causing the deficiency of a substance called glutathione, an antioxidant essential to the elimination of toxic elements present in the human body. This hypothesis has since been confirmed; it is presently widely acknowledged by the international scientific community.

The URS has developed a translational program, which implies a constant interaction between clinical research (patients) and basic research (cell cultures, mice). This approach, which has been used with success and for a long time in somatic medicine (i.e. heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.) is relatively new in psychiatry.

Clinical research, in patients, is aimed at understanding the causes and mechanisms of the disease, and includes following investigations:

• Psychopathology (psychological disorders)
• Neuropsychology (cognitive disorders)
• Genetic and biochemical analysis (of blood and fibroblasts)
• EEG analysis (electroencephalogram)
• Measuring of intracerebral glutathione and other cerebral metabolites by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)
• Measuring of cerebral connectivity (DSI)
• Therapeutic trials with substances likely to increase the glutathione level

Basic research focuses on the consequences of a reduced glutathione level; the artificial lowering of glutathione synthesis in cultures of neurons, brain slices and/or animals allows to generate "models" that are intended to evaluate whether a reduced glutathione level, in particular during the development of the brain, causes anomalies similiar to those observed in patients. These models are also essential to test the effectiveness of new drugs. Basic research involves following observations:

• Morphology: changes in the anatomy and biochemical characteristics of neurons
• Physiology: changes in certain functions of neurons
• Behaviour: changes in cognitive and affective functions

These different fields of research require the collaboration of various specialists, thus justifying a multidisciplinary working group. 
 

A team of specialists and a wide collaborative network

The team of the Unit for Research in Schizophrenia includes 15 professionals specialized in various fields. It is headed by Prof. Kim Do Cuénod (neurobiologist). The Unit also benefits from the collaboration of Prof. Michel Cuénod (medical doctor and neurobiologist, former head of the Brain Research Institute of the University of Zurich); he participates in the team as scientific adviser and on a voluntary basis.

The URS works in the context of a wide range of collaborations. These incude in particular psychiatrists and other related specialists, associations supporting the families of schizophrenic patients, as well as several university institutes and other research centres in Switzerland and abroad (see Collaboration).

Public and private funding sources

The financing of the Unit for Research in Schizophrenia depends on public and private funds. One has to recall that in the field of research, funds are never secured in the long term and can vary a great deal over time. Therefore, it is essential to raise new funds on a regular basis in order to guarantee the continuous development of research activities.

An interruption in financing leads to redundancies which occasion adverse and lasting consequences since building up a qualified team in a very specific field of research requires several years.