Poo parasite catalyst for Schizophrenia

I, Science 20 March 2006
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JANUARY: Scientists at Imperial have identified a new reason to avoid eating cat droppings.

Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite found in feline faeces, has already been linked to the development of schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis.

Rats infected with T. gondii display behavioural abnormalities such as unawareness of danger, which may manifest itself in a suicidal attraction to cats. New research shows that anti-psychotic and mood-stablising drugs, used in the treatment of schizophrenia, are highly effective at alleviating these symptoms, strengthening the case for the parasite's role in the development of the disease.

The lead author of the report was Dr. Joanne Webster, from Imperial College. "By showing that drugs used to treat schizophrenia affect the parasite T. gondii, this does provide further evidence for its role in the development of some cases schizophrenia," she said. "Although we are certainly not saying that exposure to this parasite does definitely lead to the development of schizophrenia, this and previous studies do show there may be a link in a few individuals, providing new clues for how we treat toxoplasmosis and schizophrenia."

Clinical trials using anti-T. gondii therapies for schizophrenia have already begun at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.