New approaches in studying biological mechanisms in psychiatric diseases

Special biological markers are needed in psychiatric diseases for understanding the organic etiology. Such kind of biological markers are required in differential diagnosis of psychiatric diseases and in following up of their response to treatment. While the etiology of most psychiatric disorders remains unclear and unknown, there are a lot of supporting evidences that hereditary factors are important in the pathogenesis of psychiatric diseases. Finding the roles of genetic factors in the etiology of diseases probably enhance the understanding of these illnesses better. We can recognize them earlier. Today, we are faced with new scientific developments in this field. Whole genome studies developed in these days have revealed many "hot spot" regions on human genome which could be related to psychiatric disorders. By using new cell culture techniques, we had a chance to have new biological markers in these diseases. Organoids, which resemble original cerebral tissues, were obtained in "in vivo" conditions. Induced pluripotent stem cells were used in organoid techniques for obtaining different cell types. Disease specific animals-genetically modified animals were created with known gene defects of psychiatric diseases in laboratories. New brain banks, which allow us to postmortem studies on human brain, are established in different cities around the world. In the light of the recent developments in cell biology and molecular biology/genetics, this review discusses organic structural findings, taking place in psychiatric disease progression. It is a fact that as the findings increase rapidly in this area, the etiologies of psychiatric diseases will be understood and clarified more easily. By using these technologies, important biological markers will be obtained in the diagnosis. The new treatment protocols can be revealed. Keywords: Psychiatric diseases, gene, molecular biology, GWAS, brain bank, animal model.