Viewing Psychiatric Disorders Through Viruses: Simple Architecture, Burgeoning Implications
Lingzhuo Kong1 · Boqing Zhu1 · Yifan Zhuang1 · Jianbo Lai1,3,4,5,6,7 · Shaohua Hu1,2,3,4,5,6,7
1 Department of Psychiatry, The First Afliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
2 Nanhu Brain-Computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou 310003, China
3 Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precision Psychiatry, Hangzhou 310003, China
4 MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
5 Brain Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
6 Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
7 Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, Hangzhou 310003, China
Abstract
A growing interest in the comprehensive pathogenic mechanisms of psychiatric disorders from the perspective of the microbiome has been witnessed in recent decades; the intrinsic link between microbiota and brain function through the microbiota-gut-brain axis or other pathways has gradually been realized. However, little research has focused on viruses–entities characterized by smaller dimensions, simpler structures, greater diversity, and more intricate interactions with their surrounding milieu compared to bacteria. To date, alterations in several populations of bacteriophages and viruses have been documented in both mouse models and patients with psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease, accompanied by metabolic disruptions that may directly or indirectly impact brain function. In addition, eukaryotic virus infection-mediated brain dysfunction provides insights into the psychiatric pathology involving viruses. Efforts towards virus-based diagnostic and therapeutic approaches have primarily been documented. However, limitations due to the lack of large-scale cohort studies, reliability, clinical applicability, and the unclear role of viruses in microbiota interactions pose a challenge for future studies. Nevertheless, it is conceivable that investigations into viruses herald a new era in the field of precise psychiatry.
Keywords
Virus; Bacteriophage; Microbiota-gut-brain axis; Psychiatric disorder
