Investigation of dopaminergic signalling in Meis homeobox 1 (Meis1) deficient mice as an animal model of restless legs syndrome

Putative Animal Models of Restless Legs Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Evaluation of Their Face and Construct Validity

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor disorder that severely affects sleep. It is characterized by an urge to move the legs, which is often accompanied by periodic limb movements during sleep. RLS has a high prevalence in the population and is usually a life-long condition. While its origins remain unclear, RLS is initially highly responsive to treatment with dopaminergic agonists that target D2-like receptors, in particular D2 and D3, but the long-term response is often unsatisfactory. Over the years, several putative animal models for RLS have been developed, mainly based on the epidemiological and neurochemical link with iron deficiency, treatment efficacy of D2-like dopaminergic agonists, or genome-wide association studies that identified risk factors in the patient population. Here, we present the first systematic review of putative animal models of RLS, provide information about their face and construct validity, and report their role in deciphering the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that may cause or contribute to RLS. We propose that identifying the causal links between genetic risk factors, altered organ functions, and changes to molecular pathways in neural circuitry will eventually lead to more effective new treatment options that bypass the side effects of the currently used therapeutics in RLS, especially for long-term therapy.

Childhood traumatic events and the dopaminergic theory of psychosis: A mini-review of studies investigating gene – environment interactions

There is great body of evidence showing a relationship between childhood adversity and psychosis onset. Genetic factors moderate the association between childhood adversity and psychosis risk potentially by influencing biological and/or psychological reaction following exposure to adversity. In this review, we discuss studies identifying the specific genetic variants known to affect dopamine levels involved in this interaction. Our review shows that the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2), AKT1 gene play a key role in mediating the relationship between childhood adversity and development of psychosis. We have also found conflicting findings on the impact of dopamine genes on the relationship between childhood adversity and development of psychosis, suggesting that other genetic and environmental factors should be taken into account. We here discuss the implications of our findings and future directions.

MEIS1 in Hematopoiesis and Cancer. How MEIS1-PBX Interaction Can Be Used in Therapy

Recently MEIS1 emerged as a major determinant of the MLL-r leukemic phenotype. The latest and most efficient drugs effectively decrease the levels of MEIS1 in cancer cells. Together with an overview of the latest drugs developed to target MEIS1 in MLL-r leukemia, we review, in detail, the role of MEIS1 in embryonic and adult hematopoiesis and suggest how a more profound knowledge of MEIS1 biochemistry can be used to design potent and effective drugs against MLL-r leukemia. In addition, we present data showing that the interaction between MEIS1 and PBX1 can be blocked efficiently and might represent a new avenue in anti-MLL-r and anti-leukemic therapy.