Schizophrenia: Acid produced by the brain could drive disease-related psychosis

Kynurenic acid is made in the brain and could play a role in psychosis related to schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and bipolar disorder – and new drugs may be able to reduce it

By Grace Wade

A chemical called kynurenic acid may play a role in diseases characterised by cognitive impairments or psychosis, including schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and bipolar disorder. Newly developed drugs that reduce this acid in the brain show promise in reducing symptoms of these conditions.

Kynurenic acid is in nearly every cell in every organism, though in humans it is most abundant in the brain where it regulates the release of neurotransmitters like glutamate and dopamine, says Sophie Erhardt at the Karolinska Institute …