The Friedman Brain Institute

We are developing novel epigenetic therapies for mood and psychosis spectrum disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia. This is the major focus of the Division of Psychiatric Epigenomics. Researchers at Icahn Mount Sinai are studying novel types of drugs that could alter the chemistry of brain nucleosomes in animal models of psychiatric disease. One family of molecules of particular interest are the enzymes that add or remove methyl-groups from lysine and arginine residues of the histone proteins. There are an estimated 100 lysine and arginine residue-specific histone methyltransferase and demethylase enzymes encoded in the human genome, many of which are assumed to play a critical role in maintaining neuronal health and function. These families of molecules are expected to provide plenty of targets for drug discovery and ultimately lead to better treatment options for neurological and psychiatric diseases.

The Division of Psychiatric Epigenomics is studying nucleosomal organization and molecular composition in the nuclei of human brain nerve cell specimens collected postmortem in an effort to understand epigenetic changes during the course of normal development and aging across the lifespan, as well as epigenetic changes occurring in chronic psychiatric disease.

While it is known that the overwhelming majority of nerve cells in the human brain stop multiplying via cell division during prenatal development, extremely little is known about changes inside the nuclei of nerve cells during the subsequent periods of development, maturation, and aging. It remains a mystery how the genome in nerve cells is maintained as we grow, mature, and age, and how the molecular machinery inside our nerve cells is able to adapt to the myriad of environmental influences we are exposed to during our lives. Understanding how epigenetics is important for brain function in healthy brains, as well as those affected by disease, is a central research focus for us. 

Scientists in this research area include:

• Schahram Akbarian, MD, PhD
• Emily Bernstein, PhD
• Patrizia Casaccia, MD, PhD
• Jinye Dai, PhD
• Fatemeh Haghighi, PhD
• Yasmin Hurd, PhD
• Paul Kenny, PhD
• Baihan Lin, PhD
• Samuele Marro, PhD
• Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD
• Scott J. Russo, PhD
• Anne Schaefer, MD
• Li Shen, PhD
• Ian S. Maze, PhD
• Herbert Wu, PhD