Cited by 198Tryptophan and brain disordersSuicide and Self-Harm StudiesNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

Suicide and Microglia: Recent Findings and Future Perspectives Based on Human Studies

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Suzuki, Hisaomi, Ohgidani, Masahiro, Kuwano, Nobuki, Chrétien, Fabrice, Lorin de la Grandmaison, Geoffroy, Onaya, Mitsumoto, Tominaga, Itaru, Setoyama, Daiki +4 more·2019·Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience

Abstract

Suicide is one of the most disastrous outcomes for psychiatric disorders. Recent advances in biological psychiatry have suggested a positive relationship between some specific brain abnormalities and specific symptoms in psychiatric disorders whose organic bases were previously completely unknown. Microglia, immune cells in the brain, are regarded to play crucial roles in brain inflammation by releasing inflammatory mediators and are suggested to contribute to various psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Recently, activated microglia have been suggested to be one of the possible contributing cells to suicide and suicidal behaviors via various mechanisms especially including the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway. Animal model research focusing on psychiatric disorders has a long history, however, there are only limited animal models that can properly express psychiatric symptoms. In particular, to our knowledge, animal models of human suicidal behaviors have not been established. Suicide is believed to be limited to humans, therefore human subjects should be the targets of research despite various ethical and technical limitations. From this perspective, we introduce human biological studies focusing on suicide and microglia. We first present neuropathological studies using the human postmortem brain of suicide victims. Second, we show recent findings based on positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and peripheral blood biomarker analysis on living subjects with suicidal ideation and/or suicide-related behaviors especially focusing on the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway. Finally, we propose future perspectives and tasks to clarify the role of microglia in suicide using multi-dimensional analytical methods focusing on human subjects with suicidal ideation, suicide-related behaviors and suicide victims.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fncel.2019.00031

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  • Activated microglia and brain TSPO are linked to suicide risk independently of the presence of psychiatric disorders.

    “Activated microglia (208, 209), the primary immune response cells in the brain, and brain translocator protein (TSPO) found in mitochondria of activated glial cells (210) are linked to suicide risk, independently of the presence of psychiatric disorders.”

    From A brain-centric model of suicidal behavior (2020) · cites this paper as [208]

  • Regulation of inflammatory pathways may change with level of suicidal ideation and therefore risk.

    “This suggests that regulation of inflammatory pathways may change with level of suicidal ideation and therefore risk (208).”

    From A brain-centric model of suicidal behavior (2020) · cites this paper as [208]

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Authors
Suzuki, H., Ohgidani, M., Kuwano, N., Chrétien, F., Lorin de la Grandmaison, G., Onaya, M., Tominaga, I., Setoyama, D., Kang, D., Mimura, M., Kanba, S., & Kato, T. A.
Affiliations
  • National Hospital Organization Shimofusa Psychiatric Medical Center (JP)
  • Kyushu University (JP)
  • Institut Pasteur (FR)
  • Keio University (JP)
Corresponding author
Kato, Takahiro A.
Venue
Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
Published
2019-02-13
Volume
13
Pages
31-31
ISSN
1662-5102 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2912835554
Cited by
198
References
105
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 93 · 2020: 46 · 2019: 12
FWCI
13.36
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (17dk0307047h0003, JP18dk0307075, JP18dm0107095)
  • SENSHIN Medical Research Foundation
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (15K15431, 26713039, 18H04042, 17H01550, 16H03741, JP16H06403, JP25117011, 16H06403, 18K07417, 17K19915, 16H02666)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Keywords
suicide, microglia, neuroinflammation, kynurenine pathway, suicidal ideation, suicide-related behaviors, positron emission tomography, blood biomarkers, mental illness, depression, schizophrenia

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