# MicroRNA Dysregulation in Pyschiatric Disorders and Cognitive Dysfunction

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2021 · $668,894

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The heterogeneity of genetic etiology and the corresponding neural complexity of schizophrenia have rendered
the task of understanding disease pathophysiology and developing new improved treatments rather
inauspicious. In light of this complexity there is need to identify convergent molecular and neural substrates
that can serve as entry points to prevent or reverse disease progression. Along the same lines, identification of
mutations or variants that confer protection against disease by disabling protein function via loss-of-function
(LoF) effects, akin to those of a therapeutic agent, hold great promise for devising therapeutic schemes to
restore or prevent some or all of disease symptoms.
During the first iteration of this grant, we characterized the microRNA dysregulation in a model of the 22q11.2
deletion, one of the strongest genetic risk factor for schizophrenia [Df(16)A+/- mice]. We found that postnatal
brain upregulation of Mirta22/Emc10, an inhibitor of neuronal maturation, represents the major transcriptional
effect of the 22q11.2-associated microRNA dysregulation. Mice where the Df16(A) deficiency is combined with
a LoF Mirta22 allele show a profound rescue of core SCZ-related deficits such as sensorimotor gating deficits,
working and social memory deficits, as well as several of the underlying synaptic and cellular deficits. Thus
several key disease alterations observed in Df(16)A+/– mice can be attributed to the abnormally sustained
inhibitory influence of elevated Mirta22 levels. Building on these findings, this competitive renewal aims to
elucidate further the nature of neural substrates underlying the protective influences of Mirta22 LoF mutations,
compare the effects of normalizing Mirta22 levels during neonatal, adolescent and adult time periods using
conditional genetic manipulations in mouse models (including the use of new therapeutic modalities of
translatable value) and determine the relevance of our mouse results in human disease neurons. Determining
when during the lifespan Mirta22 normalization is most effective at reversing disease phenotypes will be crucial
for determining its potential use as a therapeutic target.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10199746
- **Project number:** 5R01MH097879-10
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** JOSEPH A GOGOS
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $668,894
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-06-15 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10199746

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10199746, MicroRNA Dysregulation in Pyschiatric Disorders and Cognitive Dysfunction (5R01MH097879-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10199746. Licensed CC0.

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