About this Research Topic

Background

The examination of immune system abnormalities, particularly negative effects of prolonged inflammation, in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder has led to remarkable growth in interest in this area of research. Currently, the field has an incomparable attraction to evaluate the immune-inflammation response as a potential biomarker in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, with an increasing focus on COVID-19 and its effects related to the immune-inflammation response. Although there is a lack of concrete evidence to support the common clinical use of the immune-inflammation response as a biological marker in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, forthcoming research in this area may show encouraging findings towards a better understanding of the pathophysiology of these heterogeneous illnesses. Novel findings may provide clinicians an improved approach in new potential diagnostics and therapeutics to reduce risk, alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life in both at-risk and established patient populations in the future.

Since there may be possible alterations in immune-inflammation response across the course of these two major psychiatric disorders, we aim to explore a wide variety of issues in this Research Topic:
a) whether there are relationships between immune-inflammation response and psychopathology, cognition, emotion, and illness exacerbation/relapse,
b) the genetic underpinnings, the molecular and neurophysiological characteristics of the immune-inflammation response in the brain,
c) whether there are immune-inflammation biomarkers for disease risk assessment, subtyping, and treatment decision,
d) whether adjunctive anti-inflammatory treatments are useful in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
e) historical contexts of inflammation, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder in the light of contemporary knowledge for better identification of the past, present, and future
d) implications for future research regarding the possible implementation of immune-inflammation biomarkers in early diagnosis and accurate target-specific treatment.

Immune-inflammation response in the brain and its abnormalities have emerged as a research theme for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder pathophysiology. The theme has recently become particularly critical as the analysis of COVID-19 patients has shown a possible link between aggressive immune responses and severe inflammation. This in turn leads to the question to ask if there is an association between the pathophysiology of these diseases and the immune-inflammation response. The present Research Topic will examine the immune-inflammation biomarkers and related variables in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. We welcome studies involving human subjects and/or animal models. Moreover, research outcomes might include one or more of the following domains: diagnosis, treatment, cognition, emotion, neuroimaging, genetics, epigenetics, and other parameters assessed by omics technologies as well as studies examining historical context in the light of contemporary knowledge. Thus, contributions from intersecting disciplines (e.g. immunology, radiology, history) as well as from an integrated team of researchers and clinicians will be included. Finally, different types of manuscripts (i.e., mini-review, original research, protocols, perspective, review) might be submitted, provided that they are consistent with the aims of the Research Topic.

Keywords: Inflammation, Immune system, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Diagnosis

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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