By examining the cascade of events that lead to the formation of the protein, the researchers hope to improve current therapeutics. The discovery also supports a theory that retroviruses may be associated with some cases of mental illness. GFAP usually forms filaments and is part of the structural network of cells that nourishes and detoxifies nerve cells. When GFAP becomes phosphorylated, however, these filaments fall apart, making membranes flexible and allowing for cell division. The researchers, therefore, conclude that individuals with these three mental illnesses have brains that are less plastic than the brains of individuals without the disorders.
Plasticity is a normal aspect of the brain that allows it to adjust to inputs.
Since the drugs currently used to treat schizophrenics take a couple of weeks to take effect, it's likely they are targeting the same pathways but in a more round about way. If we knew, more directly, what was altered, we could design better therapies. The decrease in phosphorylated GFAP also supports a new theory that some mental illnesses are triggered by a virus, because cell cultures of viruses including HIV-1 also show a decrease in the protein.