A SINGLE viral protein causes behaviour changes in mice that are similar to mental illness in humans. The research provides further evidence that viruses contribute to psychiatric disease.
Previous studies have shown that psychiatric patients have a higher incidence of Borna disease virus (BDV) infections than healthy people. Researchers know that the virus attacks the central nervous system of its host, but it is unclear how that might cause mental illness.
To investigate that, Keizo Tomonaga and colleagues at Osaka University in Japan created transgenic mice that produce a protein from BDV in their brains. The transgenic mice were more…
