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Salloum-Asfar S, Zawia N, Abdulla SA. Retracing our steps: A review on autism research in children, its limitation and impending pharmacological interventions. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 253:108564. [PMID: 38008401 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by three core impairments: impaired communication, impaired reciprocal social interaction, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotypical behavior patterns. Spectrum refers to the heterogeneity of presentation, severity of symptoms, and medical comorbidities associated with ASD. Among the most common underlying medical conditions are attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, epilepsy, digestive disorders, metabolic disorders, and immune disorders. At present, in the absence of an objective and accurate diagnosis of ASD, such as a blood test, pharmacological management remains a challenge. There are no approved medications to treat the core symptoms of the disorder and behavioral interventions are typically used as first line treatment. Additionally, psychotropic drugs with different mechanisms of action have been approved to reduce associated symptoms and comorbidities, including aripiprazole, risperidone, and haloperidol for irritability and aggression, methylphenidate, atomoxetine, clonidine, and guanfacine for ADHD, and melatonin for sleep disturbances. The purpose of this review is to emphasize that it is imperative to develop objective, personalized diagnostic kits in order to tailor and individualize treatment strategies, as well as to describe the current pharmacological management options available in clinical practice and new prospects that may be helpful in managing ASD's core symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salam Salloum-Asfar
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Nasser Zawia
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sara A Abdulla
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.
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2
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Ming Y, Deng Z, Tian X, Jia Y, Ning M, Cheng S. Anti-apoptotic capacity of MALAT1 on hippocampal neurons correlates with CASP3 DNA methylation in a mouse model of autism. Metab Brain Dis 2023; 38:2591-2602. [PMID: 37751122 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-023-01285-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Prior evidence has suggested the alleviatory effect of metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) on neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. This study primarily investigates the underlying mechanism of how the long non-coding RNA MALAT1 affects neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus of mice with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The findings demonstrate that CASP3 is highly expressed while MALAT1 is downregulated in the hippocampal neurons of autistic mice. MALAT1 mainly localizes within the cell nucleus and recruits DNA methyltransferases (including DNMT1, DNMT3a, and DNMT3b) to the promoter region of CASP3, promoting its methylation and further inhibiting its expression. In vitro experiments reveal that reducing MALAT1 expression promotes the expression of CASP3 and Bax while suppressing Bcl-2 expression, thereby enhancing cellular apoptosis. Conversely, increasing MALAT1 expression yields the opposite effect. Consequently, these results further confirm the role of MALAT1 in suppressing neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus of mice with ASD through the regulation of CASP3 promoter methylation. Thus, this research unveils the significant roles of MALAT1 and CASP3 in the pathogenesis of ASD, offering new possibilities for future therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ming
- Department of Applied Psychology, College of Teacher Education, Qiqihar University, No. 32, Zhonghua West Road, Jianhua District, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province, 161006, P.R. China
| | - Zhihui Deng
- Institute of Medicine and Pharmacy, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar, 161006, P.R. China
| | - Xianhua Tian
- Department of Applied Psychology, College of Teacher Education, Qiqihar University, No. 32, Zhonghua West Road, Jianhua District, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province, 161006, P.R. China
| | - Yuerong Jia
- Department of Applied Psychology, College of Teacher Education, Qiqihar University, No. 32, Zhonghua West Road, Jianhua District, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province, 161006, P.R. China
| | - Meng Ning
- Department of Applied Psychology, College of Teacher Education, Qiqihar University, No. 32, Zhonghua West Road, Jianhua District, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province, 161006, P.R. China
| | - Shuhua Cheng
- Department of Applied Psychology, College of Teacher Education, Qiqihar University, No. 32, Zhonghua West Road, Jianhua District, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province, 161006, P.R. China.
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Martins AF, de Campos LJ, Conda-Sheridan M, de Melo EB. Pharmacophore modeling, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics studies to identify new 5-HT 2AR antagonists with the potential for design of new atypical antipsychotics. Mol Divers 2023; 27:2217-2238. [PMID: 36409431 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10553-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Some important atypical antipsychotic drugs target the serotonergic receptor 2A (5-HT2AR). Currently, new therapeutic strategies are needed to offer faster onset of action with fewer side effects and, therefore, greater efficacy in a substantial proportion of patients with neuropsychological disorders such as Autism and Parkinson. The main objective of this work was to use SBDD methods to identify new hit compounds potentially useful as precursors of novel and selective 5-HT2AR antagonists. A structure-based pharmacophore screening study based on a selective antagonist was carried out in ten databases. The set obtained was refined using molecular docking, and the five most promising compounds were subjected to molecular dynamics simulations. The most stable and promising hit occupied a side pocket present in the 5-HT2AR, a site that can be explored to obtain selective ligands. Simulations against 5-HT2CR and D2R showed that the best hit could not form stable complexes with these targets, strengthening the hypothesis that the hit presents selective binding by the receptor of interest. The selected hits showed some predicted toxicity risk or violated some drug-likeness property. However, it can be concluded that the identified hits are the most promising for performing in vitro assays. Once the presence of activity is confirmed, they could become precursors of optimized and selective antagonists of 5-HT2AR. An SBDD study was carried out to identify new selective 5-HT2AR ligands potentially useful for designing selective atypical antipsychotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allana Faustino Martins
- Theoretical Medicinal and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (LQMAT), Department of Pharmacy, Western Paraná State University (UNIOESTE), Cascavel, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Luana Janaína de Campos
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Martin Conda-Sheridan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Eduardo Borges de Melo
- Theoretical Medicinal and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (LQMAT), Department of Pharmacy, Western Paraná State University (UNIOESTE), Cascavel, Paraná, Brazil.
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Silkey M, Durán-Pacheco G, Johnson M, Liu C, Clinch S, Law K, Loss G. The Autism Impact Measure (AIM): Meaningful Change Thresholds and Core Symptom Changes Over One Year from an Online Survey in the U.S. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:3422-3434. [PMID: 35788854 PMCID: PMC10465376 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05635-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Validated outcome measures with the capacity to reflect meaningful change are key to assessing potential interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We derive clinically meaningful change thresholds (MCTs) of the Autism Impact Measure (AIM) and identify factors associated with meaningful change. Baseline and 12-months follow-up survey of caregivers of 2,761 children with ASD aged 3-17 years from the U.S. Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge (SPARK) cohort were analyzed. Using caregiver-reported anchors for change, the 12-month change in estimated AIM MCT (95% confidence interval) for symptom improvement was -4.5 (-7.61, -1.37) points and 9.9 (5.12, 14.59) points for symptom deterioration. These anchor-based MCTs will facilitate future assessments of caregiver-reported change in AIM scores.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michelle Johnson
- Roche Products Ltd, Welwyn Garden City, UK.
- Hexagon Place, 6 Falcon Way, Shire Park, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 1TW, UK.
| | - Chuang Liu
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Kiely Law
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Georg Loss
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
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Spirito G, Filosi M, Domenici E, Mangoni D, Gustincich S, Sanges R. Exploratory analysis of L1 retrotransposons expression in autism. Mol Autism 2023; 14:22. [PMID: 37381037 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-023-00554-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a set of highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental diseases whose genetic etiology is not completely understood. Several investigations have relied on transcriptome analysis from peripheral tissues to dissect ASD into homogenous molecular phenotypes. Recently, analysis of changes in gene expression from postmortem brain tissues has identified sets of genes that are involved in pathways previously associated with ASD etiology. In addition to protein-coding transcripts, the human transcriptome is composed by a large set of non-coding RNAs and transposable elements (TEs). Advancements in sequencing technologies have proven that TEs can be transcribed in a regulated fashion, and their dysregulation might have a role in brain diseases. METHODS We exploited published datasets comprising RNA-seq data from (1) postmortem brain of ASD subjects, (2) in vitro cell cultures where ten different ASD-relevant genes were knocked out and (3) blood of discordant siblings. We measured the expression levels of evolutionarily young full-length transposable L1 elements and characterized the genomic location of deregulated L1s assessing their potential impact on the transcription of ASD-relevant genes. We analyzed every sample independently, avoiding to pool together the disease subjects to unmask the heterogeneity of the molecular phenotypes. RESULTS We detected a strong upregulation of intronic full-length L1s in a subset of postmortem brain samples and in in vitro differentiated neurons from iPSC knocked out for ATRX. L1 upregulation correlated with an high number of deregulated genes and retained introns. In the anterior cingulate cortex of one subject, a small number of significantly upregulated L1s overlapped with ASD-relevant genes that were significantly downregulated, suggesting the possible existence of a negative effect of L1 transcription on host transcripts. LIMITATIONS Our analyses must be considered exploratory and will need to be validated in bigger cohorts. The main limitation is given by the small sample size and by the lack of replicates for postmortem brain samples. Measuring the transcription of locus-specific TEs is complicated by the repetitive nature of their sequence, which reduces the accuracy in mapping sequencing reads to the correct genomic locus. CONCLUSIONS L1 upregulation in ASD appears to be limited to a subset of subjects that are also characterized by a general deregulation of the expression of canonical genes and an increase in intron retention. In some samples from the anterior cingulate cortex, L1s upregulation seems to directly impair the expression of some ASD-relevant genes by a still unknown mechanism. L1s upregulation may therefore identify a group of ASD subjects with common molecular features and helps stratifying individuals for novel strategies of therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Spirito
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Area of Neuroscience, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy
- Central RNA Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - IIT, Via Enrico Melen 83, Building B, 16152, Genoa, Italy
- CMP3vda, Via Lavoratori Vittime del Col Du Mont 28, Aosta, Italy
| | - Michele Filosi
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, TN, Italy
- Eurac Research, Institute for Biomedicine, Bolzano, BZ, Italy
| | - Enrico Domenici
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, TN, Italy
- Fondazione The Microsoft Research - University of Trento Centre for Computational and Systems Biology (COSBI), Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Damiano Mangoni
- Central RNA Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - IIT, Via Enrico Melen 83, Building B, 16152, Genoa, Italy
| | - Stefano Gustincich
- Central RNA Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - IIT, Via Enrico Melen 83, Building B, 16152, Genoa, Italy.
- CMP3vda, Via Lavoratori Vittime del Col Du Mont 28, Aosta, Italy.
| | - Remo Sanges
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Area of Neuroscience, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy.
- Central RNA Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - IIT, Via Enrico Melen 83, Building B, 16152, Genoa, Italy.
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Wathen JK, Jagannatha S, Ness S, Bangerter A, Pandina G. A platform trial approach to proof-of-concept (POC) studies in autism spectrum disorder: Autism spectrum POC initiative (ASPI). Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2023; 32:101061. [PMID: 36949847 PMCID: PMC10025278 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2023.101061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Over the past decade, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research has blossomed, and multiple clinical trials have tested potential interventions, with varying results and no clear demonstration of efficacy. Lack of clarity concerning appropriate biological mechanisms to target and lack of sensitive, objective tools to identify subgroups and measure symptom changes have hampered the efforts to develop treatments. A platform trial for proof-of-concept studies in ASD could help address these issues. A major goal of a platform trial is to find the best treatment in the most expeditious manner, by simultaneously investigating multiple treatments, using specialized statistical tools for allocation and analysis. We describe the setup of a platform trial and perform simulations to evaluate the operating characteristics under several scenarios. We use the Autism Behavior Inventory (ABI), a psychometrically validated web-based rating scale to measure the change in ASD core and associated symptoms. Methods Detailed description of the setup, conduct, and decision-making rules of a platform trial are explained. Simulations of a virtual platform trial for several scenarios are performed to compare operating characteristics. The success and futility criteria for treatments are based on a Bayesian posterior probability model. Results Overall, simulation results show the potential gain in terms of statistical properties especially for improved decision-making ability, while careful planning is needed due to the complexities of a platform trial. Conclusions Autism research, shaped particularly by its heterogeneity, may benefit from the platform trial approach for POC clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shyla Jagannatha
- Corresponding author. Janssen Research & Development, LLC 1125 Trenton-Harbourton Road Titusville NJ 08560, USA.
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Purushotham SS, Reddy NMN, D'Souza MN, Choudhury NR, Ganguly A, Gopalakrishna N, Muddashetty R, Clement JP. A perspective on molecular signalling dysfunction, its clinical relevance and therapeutics in autism spectrum disorder. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:2525-2567. [PMID: 36063192 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06448-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders that have become a primary clinical and social concern, with a prevalence of 2-3% in the population. Neuronal function and behaviour undergo significant malleability during the critical period of development that is found to be impaired in ID/ASD. Human genome sequencing studies have revealed many genetic variations associated with ASD/ID that are further verified by many approaches, including many mouse and other models. These models have facilitated the identification of fundamental mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of ASD/ID, and several studies have proposed converging molecular pathways in ASD/ID. However, linking the mechanisms of the pathogenic genes and their molecular characteristics that lead to ID/ASD has progressed slowly, hampering the development of potential therapeutic strategies. This review discusses the possibility of recognising the common molecular causes for most ASD/ID based on studies from the available models that may enable a better therapeutic strategy to treat ID/ASD. We also reviewed the potential biomarkers to detect ASD/ID at early stages that may aid in diagnosis and initiating medical treatment, the concerns with drug failure in clinical trials, and developing therapeutic strategies that can be applied beyond a particular mutation associated with ASD/ID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushmitha S Purushotham
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Neeharika M N Reddy
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Michelle Ninochka D'Souza
- Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science Campus, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, 560 012, India.,The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bangalore, 560064, India
| | - Nilpawan Roy Choudhury
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Anusa Ganguly
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Niharika Gopalakrishna
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Ravi Muddashetty
- Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science Campus, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, 560 012, India.,The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bangalore, 560064, India
| | - James P Clement
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India.
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Jiang CC, Lin LS, Long S, Ke XY, Fukunaga K, Lu YM, Han F. Signalling pathways in autism spectrum disorder: mechanisms and therapeutic implications. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:229. [PMID: 35817793 PMCID: PMC9273593 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01081-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent and complex neurodevelopmental disorder which has strong genetic basis. Despite the rapidly rising incidence of autism, little is known about its aetiology, risk factors, and disease progression. There are currently neither validated biomarkers for diagnostic screening nor specific medication for autism. Over the last two decades, there have been remarkable advances in genetics, with hundreds of genes identified and validated as being associated with a high risk for autism. The convergence of neuroscience methods is becoming more widely recognized for its significance in elucidating the pathological mechanisms of autism. Efforts have been devoted to exploring the behavioural functions, key pathological mechanisms and potential treatments of autism. Here, as we highlight in this review, emerging evidence shows that signal transduction molecular events are involved in pathological processes such as transcription, translation, synaptic transmission, epigenetics and immunoinflammatory responses. This involvement has important implications for the discovery of precise molecular targets for autism. Moreover, we review recent insights into the mechanisms and clinical implications of signal transduction in autism from molecular, cellular, neural circuit, and neurobehavioural aspects. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives are discussed with regard to novel strategies predicated on the biological features of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Chen Jiang
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Li-Shan Lin
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Sen Long
- Department of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Mental Health Center Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Ke
- Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Kohji Fukunaga
- Department of CNS Drug Innovation, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Ying-Mei Lu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
| | - Feng Han
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China. .,Institute of Brain Science, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China. .,Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China.
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Rol de la terapia farmacológica en los trastornos del espectro autista. REVISTA MÉDICA CLÍNICA LAS CONDES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rmclc.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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10
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Choe KY, Bethlehem RAI, Safrin M, Dong H, Salman E, Li Y, Grinevich V, Golshani P, DeNardo LA, Peñagarikano O, Harris NG, Geschwind DH. Oxytocin normalizes altered circuit connectivity for social rescue of the Cntnap2 knockout mouse. Neuron 2022; 110:795-808.e6. [PMID: 34932941 PMCID: PMC8944915 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The neural basis of abnormal social behavior in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) remains incompletely understood. Here we used two complementary but independent brain-wide mapping approaches, mouse resting-state fMRI and c-Fos-iDISCO+ imaging, to construct brain-wide activity and connectivity maps of the Cntnap2 knockout (KO) mouse model of ASD. At the macroscale level, we detected reduced functional coupling across social brain regions despite general patterns of hyperconnectivity across major brain structures. Oxytocin administration, which rescues social deficits in KO mice, strongly stimulated many brain areas and normalized connectivity patterns. Notably, chemogenetically triggered release of endogenous oxytocin strongly stimulated the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a forebrain nucleus implicated in social reward. Furthermore, NAc-targeted approaches to activate local oxytocin receptors sufficiently rescued their social deficits. Our findings establish circuit- and systems-level mechanisms of social deficits in Cntnap2 KO mice and reveal the NAc as a region that can be modulated by oxytocin to promote social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Y Choe
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Richard A I Bethlehem
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Martin Safrin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Hongmei Dong
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Elena Salman
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Department of Neuropeptide Research for Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim 68159, Germany
| | - Peyman Golshani
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Laura A DeNardo
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Olga Peñagarikano
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vizcaya 48940, Spain
| | - Neil G Harris
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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11
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Two neuroanatomical subtypes of males with autism spectrum disorder revealed using semi-supervised machine learning. Mol Autism 2022; 13:9. [PMID: 35197121 PMCID: PMC8867630 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00489-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Clinical and etiological varieties remain major obstacles to decompose heterogeneity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Recently, neuroimaging raised new hope to identify neurosubtypes of ASD for further understanding the biological mechanisms behind the disorder. Methods In this study, brain structural MRI data and clinical measures of 221 male subjects with ASD and 257 healthy controls were selected from 7 independent sites from the Autism Brain Image Data Exchange database (ABIDE). Heterogeneity through discriminative analysis (HYDRA), a recently-proposed semi-supervised clustering method was utilized to divide individuals with ASD into several neurosubtypes by regional volumetric measures of gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid. Voxel-wise volume, clinical measures, dynamic resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) measures among different neurosubtypes of ASD were explored. In addition, support vector machine (SVM) model was applied to test whether the neurosubtyping of ASD could improve diagnostic accuracy of ASD. Results Two neurosubtypes of ASD with different voxel-wise volumetric patterns were revealed. The full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ), verbal IQ, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) total scores and ADOS severity scores were significantly different between the two neurosubtypes, the total intracranial volume was correlated with performance IQ in Subtype 1 and was correlated with ADOS communication score and ADOS social score in Subtype 2. Compared with Subtype 2, Subtype 1 showed lower dynamic R-fMRI measures, lower dynamic functional architecture stability, higher mean and lower standard deviation (SD) of concordance among dynamic R-fMRI measures in cerebellum. In addition, classification accuracies between ASD neurosubtypes and healthy controls were significantly improved compared with classification accuracy between entire ASD group and healthy controls. Limitations The present study excluded female subjects and left-handed subjects, which limited the ability to investigate the associations between these factors and the heterogeneity of ASD. Conclusions The two distinct neuroanatomical subtypes of ASD validated by other data modalities not only adds reliability of the result, but also bridges from brain phenomenology to clinical behavior. The current neurosubtypes of ASD could facilitate understanding the neuropathology of this disorder and could be potentially used to improve clinical decision-making process and optimize treatment. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-022-00489-3.
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12
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Beversdorf DQ, Anagnostou E, Hardan A, Wang P, Erickson CA, Frazier TW, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. Editorial: Precision medicine approaches for heterogeneous conditions such as autism spectrum disorders (The need for a biomarker exploration phase in clinical trials - Phase 2m). Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1079006. [PMID: 36741580 PMCID: PMC9893852 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1079006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David Q Beversdorf
- Departments of Radiology, Neurology, and Psychological Sciences, William and Nancy Thompson Endowed Chair in Radiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Antonio Hardan
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Paul Wang
- Clinical Research Associates LLC, Simons Foundation, Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Craig A Erickson
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Thomas W Frazier
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.,NewYork-Presbyterian Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, New York, NY, United States
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13
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Kanagaraj S, Devishrree S, Swetha J, Priya BK, Sankar S, Cherian J, Gopal CR, Karthikeyan S. Autism and Emotion: A Narrative Review. JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND ALLIED SCIENCES NU 2021. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1736277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes a variety of childhood-onset and lifelong neurodevelopmental condition with an enduring impact on multiple domains of functioning characterized by persistent deficits in social communication, restricted and repetitive behavior interest, and activities. They often find it hard to recognize and control emotions but their emotional expression can be improved by various intervention techniques that in turn can help them understand and respond more appropriately to other people. Problems in the area on emotional reciprocity among individual with ASD involve recognizing, understanding, expressing, and regulating emotions. Their ability in emotional reciprocity is often improved with a comprehensive treatment approach, especially by focused emotional enhancement intervention. In this review, we followed the standard IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) structure to critically examine the condition of autism and its relation with genetic mechanism, and how theories of emotion and theory of mind associated with persons with ASD, some of the widely used assessment tools and future research direction in the emotional development of individuals diagnosed with ASD by using the narrative review method. Records collected through research databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, EBSCO and published books with ISBN (International Standard Book Number), and published test manuals were evaluated in-depth and summarized based on the subtopic of the proposed title. A critical theoretical analysis of the genetic mechanism of emotions, theories of emotions, and theory of mind was explained in connection with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagayaraj Kanagaraj
- Department of Counseling Psychology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - S. Devishrree
- Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (Divyangjan), East Coast Road, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - J. Swetha
- Department of Rehabilitation Psychology, National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (Divyangjan), Manovikas Nagar, Secunderabad, Telangana, India
| | - B. Krishna Priya
- Department of Counseling Psychology, University of Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Srivarshini Sankar
- School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jincy Cherian
- Department of Psychology, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - C.N. Ram Gopal
- Department of Counseling Psychology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - S. Karthikeyan
- Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (Divyangjan), East Coast Road, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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14
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Roth JG, Huang MS, Li TL, Feig VR, Jiang Y, Cui B, Greely HT, Bao Z, Paşca SP, Heilshorn SC. Advancing models of neural development with biomaterials. Nat Rev Neurosci 2021; 22:593-615. [PMID: 34376834 PMCID: PMC8612873 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00496-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells have emerged as a promising in vitro model system for studying the brain. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional cell culture paradigms have provided valuable insights into the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders, but they remain limited in their capacity to model certain features of human neural development. Specifically, current models do not efficiently incorporate extracellular matrix-derived biochemical and biophysical cues, facilitate multicellular spatio-temporal patterning, or achieve advanced functional maturation. Engineered biomaterials have the capacity to create increasingly biomimetic neural microenvironments, yet further refinement is needed before these approaches are widely implemented. This Review therefore highlights how continued progression and increased integration of engineered biomaterials may be well poised to address intractable challenges in recapitulating human neural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien G Roth
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michelle S Huang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Thomas L Li
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Vivian R Feig
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yuanwen Jiang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Bianxiao Cui
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Henry T Greely
- Stanford Law School, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Zhenan Bao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sergiu P Paşca
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sarah C Heilshorn
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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15
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A white paper on a neurodevelopmental framework for drug discovery in autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 48:49-88. [PMID: 33781629 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In the last decade there has been a revolution in terms of genetic findings in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), with many discoveries critical for understanding their aetiology and pathophysiology. Clinical trials in single-gene disorders such as fragile X syndrome highlight the challenges of investigating new drug targets in NDDs. Incorporating a developmental perspective into the process of drug development for NDDs could help to overcome some of the current difficulties in identifying and testing new treatments. This paper provides a summary of the proceedings of the 'New Frontiers Meeting' on neurodevelopmental disorders organised by the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology in conjunction with the Innovative Medicines Initiative-sponsored AIMS-2-TRIALS consortium. It brought together experts in developmental genetics, autism, NDDs, and clinical trials from academia and industry, regulators, patient and family associations, and other stakeholders. The meeting sought to provide a platform for focused communication on scientific insights, challenges, and methodologies that might be applicable to the development of CNS treatments from a neurodevelopmental perspective. Multidisciplinary translational consortia to develop basic and clinical research in parallel could be pivotal to advance knowledge in the field. Although implementation of clinical trials for NDDs in paediatric populations is widely acknowledged as essential, safety concerns should guide each aspect of their design. Industry and academia should join forces to improve knowledge of the biology of brain development, identify the optimal timing of interventions, and translate these findings into new drugs, allowing for the needs of users and families, with support from regulatory agencies.
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16
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Abstract
Individuals with autism experience substantially higher rates of mood problems compared to the general population, which contribute to reduced quality of life and increased mortality through suicide. Here, we reviewed evidence for the clinical presentation, aetiology and therapeutic approaches for mood problems in autism. We identified a lack of validated tools for accurately identifying mood problems in individuals with autism, who may present with 'atypical' features (e.g. severe irritability). Risk factors for mood problems in autism appear to be largely overlapping with those identified in the general population, including shared genetic, environmental, cognitive, physiological/neurobiological mechanisms. However, these mechanisms are exacerbated directly/indirectly by lived experiences of autism, including increased vulnerability for chronic stress - often related to social-communication difficulties(/bullying) and sensory sensitivities. Lastly, current therapeutic approaches are based on recommendations for primary mood disorders, with little reference to the neurobiological/cognitive differences associated with autism. Thus, we recommend: 1) the development and validation of (objective) tools to identify mood problems in autism and measure therapeutic efficacy; 2) an interactive approach to investigating aetiologies in large-scale longitudinal studies, integrating different levels of analysis (e.g. cognitive, neurobiological) and lived experience; 3) testing potential treatments through high-quality (e.g. sufficiently powered, blinded) clinical trials, specifically for individuals with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany Oakley
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, UK
| | - Eva Loth
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, UK
| | - Declan G Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, UK.,South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM), London, UK.,Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, UK
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17
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Indumathy J, Pruitt A, Gautier NM, Crane K, Glasscock E. Kv1.1 deficiency alters repetitive and social behaviors in mice and rescues autistic-like behaviors due to Scn2a haploinsufficiency. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e02041. [PMID: 33484493 PMCID: PMC8035482 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and epilepsy are highly comorbid, suggesting potential overlap in genetic etiology, pathophysiology, and neurodevelopmental abnormalities; however, the nature of this relationship remains unclear. This work investigated how two ion channel mutations, one associated with autism (Scn2a-null) and one with epilepsy (Kcna1-null), interact to modify genotype-phenotype relationships in the context of autism. Previous studies have shown that Scn2a+/- ameliorates epilepsy in Kcna1-/- mice, improving survival, seizure characteristics, and brain-heart dynamics. Here, we tested the converse, whether Kcna1 deletion modifies ASD-like repetitive and social behaviors in Scn2a+/- mice. METHODS Mice were bred with various combinations of Kcna1 and Scn2a knockout alleles. Animals were assessed for repetitive behaviors using marble burying, grooming, and nestlet shredding tests and for social behaviors using sociability and social novelty preference tests. RESULTS Behavioral testing revealed drastic reductions in all repetitive behaviors in epileptic Kcna1-/- mice, but relatively normal social interactions. In contrast, mice with partial Kcna1 deletion (Kcna1+/- ) exhibited increased self-grooming and decreased sociability suggestive of ASD-like features similar to those observed in Scn2a+/- mice. In double-mutant Scn2a+/- ; Kcna1+/- mice, the two mutations interacted to partially normalize ASD-like behaviors associated with each mutation independently. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these findings suggest that Kv1.1 subunits are important in pathways and neural networks underlying ASD and that Kcna1 may be a therapeutic target for treatment of Scn2a-associated ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jagadeeswaran Indumathy
- Department of Cellular Biology and AnatomyLouisiana State University Health Sciences CenterShreveportLAUSA
- Present address:
Department of Biological SciencesSouthern Methodist UniversityDallasTXUSA
| | - April Pruitt
- Department of Cellular Biology and AnatomyLouisiana State University Health Sciences CenterShreveportLAUSA
| | - Nicole M. Gautier
- Department of Cellular Biology and AnatomyLouisiana State University Health Sciences CenterShreveportLAUSA
| | - Kaitlin Crane
- Department of Cellular Biology and AnatomyLouisiana State University Health Sciences CenterShreveportLAUSA
| | - Edward Glasscock
- Department of Cellular Biology and AnatomyLouisiana State University Health Sciences CenterShreveportLAUSA
- Present address:
Department of Biological SciencesSouthern Methodist UniversityDallasTXUSA
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18
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Goo N, Bae HJ, Park K, Kim J, Jeong Y, Cai M, Cho K, Jung SY, Kim DH, Ryu JH. The effect of fecal microbiota transplantation on autistic-like behaviors in Fmr1 KO mice. Life Sci 2020; 262:118497. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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19
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Frye RE, Rossignol DA, Scahill L, McDougle CJ, Huberman H, Quadros EV. Treatment of Folate Metabolism Abnormalities in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Semin Pediatr Neurol 2020; 35:100835. [PMID: 32892962 PMCID: PMC7477301 DOI: 10.1016/j.spen.2020.100835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder that currently has no approved medical therapy to address core symptoms or underling pathophysiological processes. Several compounds are under development that address both underlying pathophysiological abnormalities and core ASD symptoms. This article reviews one of these treatments, d,l-leucovorin calcium (also known as folinic acid) for treatment of folate pathway abnormalities in children with ASD. Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that is essential for normal neurodevelopment and abnormalities in the folate and related pathways have been identified in children with ASD. One of these abnormalities involves a partial blockage in the ability of folate to be transported into the brain utilizing the primary transport mechanism, the folate receptor alpha. Autoantibodies which interfere with the function of the folate receptor alpha called folate receptor alpha autoantibodies have been identified in 58%-76% of children with ASD and independent studies have demonstrated that blood titers of these autoantibodies correlate with folate levels in the cerebrospinal fluid. Most significantly, case-series, open-label, and single and double-blind placebo-controlled studies suggest that d,l-leucovorin, a reduced folate that can bypass the blockage at the folate receptor alpha by using the reduced folate carrier, an alternate pathway, can substantially improve particular symptoms in children with ASD, especially those positive for folate receptor alpha autoantibodies. This article reviews the current evidence for treating core and associated symptoms and underlying pathophysiological mechanisms in children with ASD with d,l-leucovorin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard E. Frye
- Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ
| | | | - Lawrence Scahill
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University and Marcus Autism Center, Atlanta, GA
| | - Christopher J. McDougle
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA and Lurie Center for Autism, Lexington, MA
| | - Harris Huberman
- Departments of Pediatrics, State University of New York – Downstate, Brooklyn, NY
| | - Edward V. Quadros
- Departments of Medicine, State University of New York – Downstate, Brooklyn, NY
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20
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Javed S, Selliah T, Lee YJ, Huang WH. Dosage-sensitive genes in autism spectrum disorders: From neurobiology to therapy. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 118:538-567. [PMID: 32858083 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of heterogenous neurodevelopmental disorders affecting 1 in 59 children. Syndromic ASDs are commonly associated with chromosomal rearrangements or dosage imbalance involving a single gene. Many of these genes are dosage-sensitive and regulate transcription, protein homeostasis, and synaptic function in the brain. Despite vastly different molecular perturbations, syndromic ASDs share core symptoms including social dysfunction and repetitive behavior. However, each ASD subtype has a unique pathogenic mechanism and combination of comorbidities that require individual attention. We have learned a great deal about how these dosage-sensitive genes control brain development and behaviors from genetically-engineered mice. Here we describe the clinical features of eight monogenic neurodevelopmental disorders caused by dosage imbalance of four genes, as well as recent advances in using genetic mouse models to understand their pathogenic mechanisms and develop intervention strategies. We propose that applying newly developed quantitative molecular and neuroscience technologies will advance our understanding of the unique neurobiology of each disorder and enable the development of personalized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sehrish Javed
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Tharushan Selliah
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Yu-Ju Lee
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Wei-Hsiang Huang
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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21
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Colizzi M, Lasalvia A, Ruggeri M. Prevention and early intervention in youth mental health: is it time for a multidisciplinary and trans-diagnostic model for care? Int J Ment Health Syst 2020; 14:23. [PMID: 32226481 PMCID: PMC7092613 DOI: 10.1186/s13033-020-00356-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Similar to other health care sectors, mental health has moved towards the secondary prevention, with the effort to detect and treat mental disorders as early as possible. However, converging evidence sheds new light on the potential of primary preventive and promotion strategies for mental health of young people. We aimed to reappraise such evidence. METHODS We reviewed the current state of knowledge on delivering promotion and preventive interventions addressing youth mental health. RESULTS Half of all mental disorders start by 14 years and are usually preceded by non-specific psychosocial disturbances potentially evolving in any major mental disorder and accounting for 45% of the global burden of disease across the 0-25 age span. While some action has been taken to promote the implementation of services dedicated to young people, mental health needs during this critical period are still largely unmet. This urges redesigning preventive strategies in a youth-focused multidisciplinary and trans-diagnostic framework which might early modify possible psychopathological trajectories. CONCLUSIONS Evidence suggests that it would be unrealistic to consider promotion and prevention in mental health responsibility of mental health professionals alone. Integrated and multidisciplinary services are needed to increase the range of possible interventions and limit the risk of poor long-term outcome, with also potential benefits in terms of healthcare system costs. However, mental health professionals have the scientific, ethical, and moral responsibility to indicate the direction to all social, political, and other health care bodies involved in the process of meeting mental health needs during youth years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Colizzi
- 1Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
- 2Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Antonio Lasalvia
- 1Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Mirella Ruggeri
- 1Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
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22
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Gyertyán I. How can preclinical cognitive research further neuropsychiatric drug discovery? Chances and challenges. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 15:659-670. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1739645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- István Gyertyán
- Cognitive Translational Behavioural Pharmacology Group, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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23
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Hong SJ, Valk SL, Di Martino A, Milham MP, Bernhardt BC. Multidimensional Neuroanatomical Subtyping of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:3578-3588. [PMID: 28968847 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders with multiple biological etiologies and highly variable symptoms. Using a novel analytical framework that integrates cortex-wide MRI markers of vertical (i.e., thickness, tissue contrast) and horizontal (i.e., surface area, geodesic distance) cortical organization, we could show that a large multi-centric cohort of individuals with ASD falls into 3 distinctive anatomical subtypes (ASD-I: cortical thickening, increased surface area, tissue blurring; ASD-II: cortical thinning, decreased distance; ASD-III: increased distance). Bootstrap analysis indicated a high consistency of these biotypes across thousands of simulations, while analysis of behavioral phenotypes and resting-state fMRI showed differential symptom load (i.e., Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule; ADOS) and instrinsic connectivity anomalies in communication and social-cognition networks. Notably, subtyping improved supervised learning approaches predicting ADOS score in single subjects, with significantly increased performance compared to a subtype-blind approach. The existence of different subtypes may reconcile previous results so far not converging on a consistent pattern of anatomical anomalies in autism, and possibly relate the presence of diverging corticogenic and maturational anomalies. The high accuracy for symptom severity prediction indicates benefits of MRI biotyping for personalized diagnostics and may guide the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seok-Jun Hong
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstrasse 1a, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Health, 1 Park Avenue, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael P Milham
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, 445 Park Avenue, New York, NY, USA.,Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd, Orangeburg, New York, NY, USA
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC, Canada
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24
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A comparative study of the genetic components of three subcategories of autism spectrum disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2019; 24:1720-1731. [PMID: 29875476 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0081-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) controversially combined previously distinct subcategories of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) into a single diagnostic category. However, genetic convergences and divergences between different ASD subcategories are unclear. By retrieving 1725 exonic de novo mutations (DNMs) from 1628 subjects with autistic disorder (AD), 1873 from 1564 subjects with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), 276 from 247 subjects with Asperger's syndrome (AS), and 2077 from 2299 controls, we found that rates of putative functional DNMs (loss-of-function, predicted deleterious missense, and frameshift) in all three subcategories were significantly higher than those in control. We then investigated the convergences and divergences of the three ASD subcategories based on four genetic aspects: whether any two ASD subcategories (1) shared significantly more genes with functional DNMs, (2) exhibited similar spatio-temporal expression patterns, (3) shared significantly more candidate genes, and (4) shared some ASD-associated functional pathways. It is revealed that AD and PDD-NOS were broadly convergent in terms of all four genetic aspects, suggesting these two ASD subcategories may be genetically combined. AS was divergent to AD and PDD-NOS for aspects of functional DNMs and expression patterns, whereas AS and AD/PDD-NOS were convergent for aspects of candidate genes and functional pathways. Our results indicated that the three ASD subcategories present more genetic convergences than divergences, favouring DSM-5's new classification. This study suggests that specifically defined genotypes and their corresponding phenotypes should be integrated analyzed for precise diagnosis of complex disorders, such as ASD.
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25
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Matsumura K, Baba M, Nagayasu K, Yamamoto K, Kondo M, Kitagawa K, Takemoto T, Seiriki K, Kasai A, Ago Y, Hayata-Takano A, Shintani N, Kuriu T, Iguchi T, Sato M, Takuma K, Hashimoto R, Hashimoto H, Nakazawa T. Autism-associated protein kinase D2 regulates embryonic cortical neuron development. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 519:626-632. [PMID: 31540692 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.09.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by impaired social interaction, repetitive behavior and restricted interests. Although the molecular etiology of ASD remains largely unknown, recent studies have suggested that de novo mutations are significantly involved in the risk of ASD. We and others recently identified spontaneous de novo mutations in PKD2, a protein kinase D family member, in sporadic ASD cases. However, the biological significance of the de novo PKD2 mutations and the role of PKD2 in brain development remain unclear. Here, we performed functional analysis of PKD2 in cortical neuron development using in utero electroporation. PKD2 is highly expressed in cortical neural stem cells in the developing cortex and regulates cortical neuron development, including the neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells and migration of newborn neurons. Importantly, we determined that the ASD-associated de novo mutations impair the kinase activity of PKD2, suggesting that the de novo PKD2 mutations can be a risk factor for the disease by loss of function of PKD2. Our current findings provide novel insight into the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kensuke Matsumura
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Interdisciplinary Program for Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Transdisciplinary Graduate Degree Programs, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Research Fellowships for Young Scientists of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan
| | - Masayuki Baba
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kazuki Nagayasu
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kana Yamamoto
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Momoka Kondo
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kohei Kitagawa
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tomoya Takemoto
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kaoru Seiriki
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Interdisciplinary Program for Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Transdisciplinary Graduate Degree Programs, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kasai
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yukio Ago
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Atsuko Hayata-Takano
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Norihito Shintani
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Kuriu
- Osaka Medical College, Research and Development Center, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-8686, Japan
| | - Tokuichi Iguchi
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Makoto Sato
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Yoshida-gun, Fukui, 910-1193, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Takuma
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Ryota Hashimoto
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8553, Japan; Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Hashimoto
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Division of Bioscience, Institute for Datability Science, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Transdimensional Life Imaging Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Department of Molecular Pharmaceutical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Takanobu Nakazawa
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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Bangerter A, Manyakov NV, Lewin D, Boice M, Skalkin A, Jagannatha S, Chatterjee M, Dawson G, Goodwin MS, Hendren R, Leventhal B, Shic F, Ness S, Pandina G. Caregiver Daily Reporting of Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Observational Study Using Web and Mobile Apps. JMIR Ment Health 2019; 6:e11365. [PMID: 30912762 PMCID: PMC6454343 DOI: 10.2196/11365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently, no medications are approved to treat core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One barrier to ASD medication development is the lack of validated outcome measures able to detect symptom change. Current ASD interventions are often evaluated using retrospective caregiver reports that describe general clinical presentation but often require recall of specific behaviors weeks after they occur, potentially reducing accuracy of the ratings. My JAKE, a mobile and Web-based mobile health (mHealth) app that is part of the Janssen Autism Knowledge Engine-a dynamically updated clinical research system-was designed to help caregivers of individuals with ASD to continuously log symptoms, record treatments, and track progress, to mitigate difficulties associated with retrospective reporting. OBJECTIVE My JAKE was deployed in an exploratory, noninterventional clinical trial to evaluate its utility and acceptability to monitor clinical outcomes in ASD. Hypotheses regarding relationships among daily tracking of symptoms, behavior, and retrospective caregiver reports were tested. METHODS Caregivers of individuals with ASD aged 6 years to adults (N=144) used the My JAKE app to make daily reports on their child's sleep quality, affect, and other self-selected specific behaviors across the 8- to 10-week observational study. The results were compared with commonly used paper-and-pencil scales acquired over a concurrent period at regular 4-week intervals. RESULTS Caregiver reporting of behaviors in real time was successfully captured by My JAKE. On average, caregivers made reports 2-3 days per week across the study period. Caregivers were positive about their use of the system, with over 50% indicating that they would like to use My JAKE to track behavior outside of a clinical trial. More positive average daily reporting of overall type of day was correlated with 4 weekly reports of lower caregiver burden made at 4-week intervals (r=-0.27, P=.006, n=88) and with ASD symptoms (r=-0.42, P<.001, n=112). CONCLUSIONS My JAKE reporting aligned with retrospective Web-based or paper-and-pencil scales. Use of mHealth apps, such as My JAKE, has the potential to increase the validity and accuracy of caregiver-reported outcomes and could be a useful way of identifying early changes in response to intervention. Such systems may also assist caregivers in tracking symptoms and behavior outside of a clinical trial, help with personalized goal setting, and monitoring of progress, which could collectively improve understanding of and quality of life for individuals with ASD and their families. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02668991; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02668991.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Bangerter
- Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ, United States
| | - Nikolay V Manyakov
- Computational Biology, Discovery Sciences, Janssen Research & Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - David Lewin
- Clinical Biostatistics, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ, United States
| | - Matthew Boice
- Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ, United States
| | - Andrew Skalkin
- Informatics, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, PA, United States
| | - Shyla Jagannatha
- Statistical Decision Sciences, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ, United States
| | - Meenakshi Chatterjee
- Computational Biology, Discovery Sciences, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, PA, United States
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Matthew S Goodwin
- Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Robert Hendren
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Bennett Leventhal
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Frederick Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Seth Ness
- Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ, United States
| | - Gahan Pandina
- Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ, United States
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P2X7 Receptors Drive Poly(I:C) Induced Autism-like Behavior in Mice. J Neurosci 2019; 39:2542-2561. [PMID: 30683682 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1895-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) is a principal environmental risk factor contributing to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which compromises fetal brain development at critical periods of pregnancy and might be causally linked to ASD symptoms. We report that endogenous activation of the purinergic ion channel P2X7 (P2rx7) is necessary and sufficient to transduce MIA to autistic phenotype in male offspring. MIA induced by poly(I:C) injections to P2rx7 WT mouse dams elicited an autism-like phenotype in their offspring, and these alterations were not observed in P2rx7-deficient mice, or following maternal treatment with a specific P2rx7 antagonist, JNJ47965567. Genetic deletion and pharmacological inhibition of maternal P2rx7s also counteracted the induction of IL-6 in the maternal plasma and fetal brain, and disrupted brain development, whereas postnatal P2rx7 inhibition alleviated behavioral and morphological alterations in the offspring. Administration of ATP to P2rx7 WT dams also evoked autistic phenotype, but not in KO dams, implying that P2rx7 activation by ATP is sufficient to induce autism-like features in offspring. Our results point to maternal and offspring P2rx7s as potential therapeutic targets for the early prevention and treatment of ASD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorder caused by genetic and environmental factors. Recent studies highlighted the importance of perinatal risks, in particular, maternal immune activation (MIA), showing strong association with the later emergence of ASD in the affected children. MIA could be mimicked in animal models via injection of a nonpathogenic agent poly(I:C) during pregnancy. This is the first report showing the key role of a ligand gated ion channel, the purinergic P2X7 receptor in MIA-induced autism-like behavioral and biochemical features. We show that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of both maternal and offspring P2X7 receptors could reverse the compromised brain development and autistic phenotype pointing to new possibilities for prevention and treatment of ASD.
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p38α MAPK signaling drives pharmacologically reversible brain and gastrointestinal phenotypes in the SERT Ala56 mouse. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E10245-E10254. [PMID: 30297392 PMCID: PMC6205438 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1809137115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurobehavioral disorder with limited treatment options. Activation of p38 MAPK signaling networks has been identified in ASD, and p38 MAPK signaling elevates serotonin (5-HT) transporter (SERT) activity, effects mimicked by multiple, hyperfunctional SERT coding variants identified in ASD subjects. Mice expressing the most common of these variants (SERT Ala56) exhibit hyperserotonemia, a biomarker observed in ASD subjects, as well as p38 MAPK-dependent SERT hyperphosphorylation, elevated hippocampal 5-HT clearance, hypersensitivity of CNS 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A/2C receptors, and behavioral and gastrointestinal perturbations reminiscent of ASD. As the α-isoform of p38 MAPK drives SERT activation, we tested the hypothesis that CNS-penetrant, α-isoform-specific p38 MAPK inhibitors might normalize SERT Ala56 phenotypes. Strikingly, 1-week treatment of adult SERT Ala56 mice with MW150, a selective p38α MAPK inhibitor, normalized hippocampal 5-HT clearance, CNS 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A/2C receptor sensitivities, social interactions, and colonic motility. Conditional elimination of p38α MAPK in 5-HT neurons of SERT Ala56 mice restored 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A/2C receptor sensitivities as well as social interactions, mirroring effects of MW150. Our findings support ongoing p38α MAPK activity as an important determinant of the physiological and behavioral perturbations of SERT Ala56 mice and, more broadly, supports consideration of p38α MAPK inhibition as a potential treatment for core and comorbid phenotypes present in ASD subjects.
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Treating a novel plasticity defect rescues episodic memory in Fragile X model mice. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1798-1806. [PMID: 29133950 PMCID: PMC5951717 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 07/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Episodic memory, a fundamental component of human cognition, is significantly impaired in autism. We believe we report the first evidence for this problem in the Fmr1-knockout (KO) mouse model of Fragile X syndrome and describe potentially treatable underlying causes. The hippocampus is critical for the formation and use of episodes, with semantic (cue identity) information relayed to the structure via the lateral perforant path (LPP). The unusual form of synaptic plasticity expressed by the LPP (lppLTP) was profoundly impaired in Fmr1-KOs relative to wild-type mice. Two factors contributed to this defect: (i) reduced GluN1 subunit levels in synaptic NMDA receptors and related currents, and (ii) impaired retrograde synaptic signaling by the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). Studies using a novel serial cue paradigm showed that episodic encoding is dependent on both the LPP and the endocannabinoid receptor CB1, and is strikingly impaired in Fmr1-KOs. Enhancing 2-AG signaling rescued both lppLTP and learning in the mutants. Thus, two consequences of the Fragile-X mutation converge on plasticity at one site in hippocampus to prevent encoding of a basic element of cognitive memory. Collectively, the results suggest a clinically plausible approach to treatment.
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Gupta P, Uner OE, Nayak S, Grant GR, Kalb RG. SAP97 regulates behavior and expression of schizophrenia risk enriched gene sets in mouse hippocampus. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200477. [PMID: 29995933 PMCID: PMC6040763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Synapse associated protein of 97KDa (SAP97) belongs to a family of scaffolding proteins, the membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs), that are highly enriched in the postsynaptic density of synapses and play an important role in organizing protein complexes necessary for synaptic development and plasticity. The Dlg-MAGUK family of proteins are structurally very similar, and an effort has been made to parse apart the unique function of each Dlg-MAGUK protein by characterization of knockout mice. Knockout mice have been generated and characterized for PSD-95, PSD-93, and SAP102, however SAP97 knockout mice have been impossible to study because the SAP97 null mice die soon after birth due to a craniofacial defect. We studied the transcriptomic and behavioral consequences of a brain-specific conditional knockout of SAP97 (SAP97-cKO). RNA sequencing from hippocampi from control and SAP97-cKO male animals identified 67 SAP97 regulated transcripts. As large-scale genetic studies have implicated MAGUKs in neuropsychiatric disorders such as intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders, and schizophrenia (SCZ), we analyzed our differentially expressed gene (DEG) set for enrichment of disease risk-associated genes, and found our DEG set to be specifically enriched for SCZ-related genes. Subjecting SAP97-cKO mice to a battery of behavioral tests revealed a subtle male-specific cognitive deficit and female-specific motor deficit, while other behaviors were largely unaffected. These data suggest that loss of SAP97 may have a modest contribution to organismal behavior. The SAP97-cKO mouse serves as a stepping stone for understanding the unique role of SAP97 in biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preetika Gupta
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ogul E. Uner
- School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Soumyashant Nayak
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Gregory R. Grant
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Robert G. Kalb
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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31
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Horder J, Petrinovic MM, Mendez MA, Bruns A, Takumi T, Spooren W, Barker GJ, Künnecke B, Murphy DG. Glutamate and GABA in autism spectrum disorder-a translational magnetic resonance spectroscopy study in man and rodent models. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:106. [PMID: 29802263 PMCID: PMC5970172 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0155-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental syndrome with a high human and economic burden. The pathophysiology of ASD is largely unclear, thus hampering development of pharmacological treatments for the core symptoms of the disorder. Abnormalities in glutamate and GABA signaling have been hypothesized to underlie ASD symptoms, and may form a therapeutic target, but it is not known whether these abnormalities are recapitulated in humans with ASD, as well as in rodent models of the disorder. We used translational proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ([1H]MRS) to compare glutamate and GABA levels in adult humans with ASD and in a panel of six diverse rodent ASD models, encompassing genetic and environmental etiologies. [1H]MRS was performed in the striatum and the medial prefrontal cortex, of the humans, mice, and rats in order to allow for direct cross-species comparisons in specific cortical and subcortical brain regions implicated in ASD. In humans with ASD, glutamate concentration was reduced in the striatum and this was correlated with the severity of social symptoms. GABA levels were not altered in either brain region. The reduction in striatal glutamate was recapitulated in mice prenatally exposed to valproate, and in mice and rats carrying Nlgn3 mutations, but not in rodent ASD models with other etiologies. Our findings suggest that glutamate/GABA abnormalities in the corticostriatal circuitry may be a key pathological mechanism in ASD; and may be linked to alterations in the neuroligin-neurexin signaling complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Horder
- 0000 0001 2322 6764grid.13097.3cDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Marija M. Petrinovic
- 0000 0004 0374 1269grid.417570.0Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Neuroscience, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland ,0000 0001 2322 6764grid.13097.3cPresent Address: Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and The Sackler Institute for Translational Development, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Maria A. Mendez
- 0000 0001 2322 6764grid.13097.3cDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Andreas Bruns
- 0000 0004 0374 1269grid.417570.0Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Neuroscience, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Toru Takumi
- grid.474690.8RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Japan
| | - Will Spooren
- 0000 0004 0374 1269grid.417570.0Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Neuroscience, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gareth J. Barker
- 0000 0001 2322 6764grid.13097.3cCentre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Basil Künnecke
- 0000 0004 0374 1269grid.417570.0Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Neuroscience, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Declan G. Murphy
- 0000 0001 2322 6764grid.13097.3cDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK ,grid.415717.1Autism Assessment and Behavioural Genetics Clinic, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham, UK ,0000 0001 2322 6764grid.13097.3cSackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF United Kingdom
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32
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Woodbury-Smith M, Scherer SW. Progress in the genetics of autism spectrum disorder. Dev Med Child Neurol 2018; 60:445-451. [PMID: 29574884 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.13717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED A genetic basis for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is now well established, and with the availability of high-throughput microarray and sequencing platforms, major advances have been made in our understanding of genetic risk factors. Rare, often de novo, copy number and single nucleotide variants are both implicated, with many ASD-implicated genes showing pleiotropy and variable penetrance. Additionally, common variants are also known to play a role in ASD's genetic etiology. These new insights into the architecture of ASD's genetic etiology offer opportunities for the identification of molecular targets for novel interventions, and provide new insight for families seeking genetic counselling. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS A number of rare genetic variants are implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with some showing recurrence. Common genetic variants are also important and a number of loci are now being uncovered. Genetic testing for individuals with ASD offers the opportunity to identify relevant genetic etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Woodbury-Smith
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.,Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen W Scherer
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,McLaughlin Centre, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
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mGlu5-mediated signalling in developing astrocyte and the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 48:139-145. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Howes OD, Rogdaki M, Findon JL, Wichers RH, Charman T, King BH, Loth E, McAlonan GM, McCracken JT, Parr JR, Povey C, Santosh P, Wallace S, Simonoff E, Murphy DG. Autism spectrum disorder: Consensus guidelines on assessment, treatment and research from the British Association for Psychopharmacology. J Psychopharmacol 2018; 32:3-29. [PMID: 29237331 PMCID: PMC5805024 DOI: 10.1177/0269881117741766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
An expert review of the aetiology, assessment, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder, and recommendations for diagnosis, management and service provision was coordinated by the British Association for Psychopharmacology, and evidence graded. The aetiology of autism spectrum disorder involves genetic and environmental contributions, and implicates a number of brain systems, in particular the gamma-aminobutyric acid, serotonergic and glutamatergic systems. The presentation of autism spectrum disorder varies widely and co-occurring health problems (in particular epilepsy, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and irritability) are common. We did not recommend the routine use of any pharmacological treatment for the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. In children, melatonin may be useful to treat sleep problems, dopamine blockers for irritability, and methylphenidate, atomoxetine and guanfacine for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The evidence for use of medication in adults is limited and recommendations are largely based on extrapolations from studies in children and patients without autism spectrum disorder. We discuss the conditions for considering and evaluating a trial of medication treatment, when non-pharmacological interventions should be considered, and make recommendations on service delivery. Finally, we identify key gaps and limitations in the current evidence base and make recommendations for future research and the design of clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver D Howes
- 1 MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- 2 Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Rogdaki
- 1 MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
| | - James L Findon
- 3 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Robert H Wichers
- 3 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- 4 Department of Psychology, King's College London, London UK
| | - Bryan H King
- 5 Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Eva Loth
- 3 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Gráinne M McAlonan
- 6 The Sackler Centre and Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry, Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- 7 NIHR-BRC for Mental Health, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - James T McCracken
- 8 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Jeremy R Parr
- 9 Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Carol Povey
- 10 The National Autistic Society, London, UK
| | - Paramala Santosh
- 11 Department of Child Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Emily Simonoff
- 13 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Declan G Murphy
- 6 The Sackler Centre and Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry, Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- 7 NIHR-BRC for Mental Health, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Mechler K, Hoffmann GF, Dittmann RW, Ries M. Defining the hidden evidence in autism research. Forty per cent of rigorously designed clinical trials remain unpublished - a cross-sectional analysis. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 2017; 26:e1546. [PMID: 27862603 PMCID: PMC6877258 DOI: 10.1002/mpr.1546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Revised: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have a prevalence of up to 2.7% and show significant rates of comorbidities. Pharmacological treatment can be difficult. New treatment options are needed, several are currently under investigation. Publication bias presents a major problem in current clinical research. This study was designed to quantify publication bias in rigorously designed ASD research. The database at ClinicalTrials.gov was searched for all completed randomized controlled clinical trials investigating interventions in ASD and their results made public. If results could neither be retrieved through search of the database, nor of scientific databases nor by enquiries of the responsible parties or sponsors listed, a trial was defined as not published. The search delivered N = 30 (60%) trials were published, N = 20 (40%) remained unpublished, N = 2,421 (59%) patients were enrolled in the published trials, N = 1,664 (41%) patients in the unpublished trials, time to publication was 21.4 months [standard deviation (SD) = 18.48; range = -5 to 80 months]. Results of N = 22 trials were available through ClinicalTrials.gov. Characteristics of published compared to unpublished trials did not show apparent differences. The majority of trials investigated drugs. The results emphasize the serious issue of publication bias. The large proportion of unpublished results precludes valuable information and has the potential to distort evidence for treatment approaches in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Mechler
- Paediatric Psychopharmacology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Georg F Hoffmann
- Paediatric Neurology and Metabolic Medicine, Centre for Rare Disorders, Centre for Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ralf W Dittmann
- Paediatric Psychopharmacology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Markus Ries
- Paediatric Neurology and Metabolic Medicine, Centre for Rare Disorders, Centre for Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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van den Berk-Smeekens I, Oosterling IJ, den Boer JC, Buitelaar JK, Staal WG, van Dongen-Boomsma M. Pivotal Response Treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Hippokratia 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd012887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Iris van den Berk-Smeekens
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour; Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre; Nijmegen Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre; Nijmegen Netherlands
| | - Iris J Oosterling
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre; Nijmegen Netherlands
| | - Jenny C den Boer
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Centre; Ede Netherlands
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour; Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre; Nijmegen Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre; Nijmegen Netherlands
| | - Wouter G Staal
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour; Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre; Nijmegen Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre; Nijmegen Netherlands
| | - Martine van Dongen-Boomsma
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour; Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre; Nijmegen Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre; Nijmegen Netherlands
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Bangerter A, Ness S, Aman MG, Esbensen AJ, Goodwin MS, Dawson G, Hendren R, Leventhal B, Khan A, Opler M, Harris A, Pandina G. Autism Behavior Inventory: A Novel Tool for Assessing Core and Associated Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2017; 27:814-822. [PMID: 28498053 PMCID: PMC5689117 DOI: 10.1089/cap.2017.0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Autism Behavior Inventory (ABI) is a new measure for assessing changes in core and associated symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in participants (ages: 3 years-adulthood) diagnosed with ASD. It is a web-based tool with five domains (two ASD core domains: social communication, restrictive and repetitive behaviors; three associated domains: mental health, self-regulation, and challenging behavior). This study describes design, development, and initial psychometric properties of the ABI. METHODS ABI items were generated following review of existing measures and inputs from expert clinicians. Initial ABI scale contained 161 items that were reduced to fit a factor analytic model, retaining items of adequate reliability. Two versions of the scale, ABI-full (ABI-F; 93 items) and ABI-short version (ABI-S; 36 items), were developed and evaluated for psychometric properties, including validity comparisons with commonly used measures. Both scales were administered to parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved with study participants. RESULTS Test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.79) for parent ratings on ABI was robust and compared favorably to existing scales. Test-retest correlations for HCP ratings were generally lower versus parent ratings. ABI core domains and comparison measures strongly correlated (r ≥ 0.70), demonstrating good concurrent validity. CONCLUSIONS Overall, ABI demonstrates promise as a tool for measuring change in core symptoms of autism in ASD clinical studies, with further validation required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abi Bangerter
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Titusville, New Jersey
| | - Seth Ness
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Titusville, New Jersey
| | - Michael G. Aman
- The Nisonger Center University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Anna J. Esbensen
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Matthew S. Goodwin
- 312E Robinson Hall, Department of Health Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Robert Hendren
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | | | | | - Mark Opler
- ProPhase, LLC, NYU School of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Adrianne Harris
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Gahan Pandina
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Titusville, New Jersey
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Kaushik G, Xia Y, Pfau JC, Thomas MA. Dysregulation of autism-associated synaptic proteins by psychoactive pharmaceuticals at environmental concentrations. Neurosci Lett 2017; 661:143-148. [PMID: 28965935 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.09.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are complex neurological disorders for which the prevalence in the U.S. is currently estimated to be 1 in 50 children. A majority of cases of idiopathic autism in children likely result from unknown environmental triggers in genetically susceptible individuals. These triggers may include maternal exposure of a developing embryo to environmentally relevant minute concentrations of psychoactive pharmaceuticals through ineffectively purified drinking water. Previous studies in our lab examined the extent to which gene sets associated with neuronal development were up- and down-regulated (enriched) in the brains of fathead minnows treated with psychoactive pharmaceuticals at environmental concentrations. The aim of this study was to determine whether similar treatments would alter in vitro expression of ASD-associated synaptic proteins on differentiated human neuronal cells. Human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells were differentiated for two weeks with 10μM retinoic acid (RA) and treated with environmentally relevant concentrations of fluoxetine, carbamazepine or venlafaxine, and flow cytometry technique was used to analyze expression of ASD-associated synaptic proteins. Data showed that carbamazepine individually, venlafaxine individually and mixture treatment at environmental concentrations significantly altered the expression of key synaptic proteins (NMDAR1, PSD95, SV2A, HTR1B, HTR2C and OXTR). Data indicated that psychoactive pharmaceuticals at extremely low concentrations altered the in vitro expression of key synaptic proteins that may potentially contribute to neurological disorders like ASD by disrupting neuronal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Kaushik
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Stop 8007, 921 S 8th Ave., Pocatello, ID 83209-8007, USA; Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705 USA.
| | - Yu Xia
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Dr. HS 104, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
| | - Jean C Pfau
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Stop 8007, 921 S 8th Ave., Pocatello, ID 83209-8007, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
| | - Michael A Thomas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Stop 8007, 921 S 8th Ave., Pocatello, ID 83209-8007, USA.
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Ness SL, Manyakov NV, Bangerter A, Lewin D, Jagannatha S, Boice M, Skalkin A, Dawson G, Janvier YM, Goodwin MS, Hendren R, Leventhal B, Shic F, Cioccia W, Pandina G. JAKE® Multimodal Data Capture System: Insights from an Observational Study of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:517. [PMID: 29018317 PMCID: PMC5623040 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To test usability and optimize the Janssen Autism Knowledge Engine (JAKE®) system's components, biosensors, and procedures used for objective measurement of core and associated symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in clinical trials. Methods: A prospective, observational study of 29 children and adolescents with ASD using the JAKE system was conducted at three sites in the United States. This study was designed to establish the feasibility of the JAKE system and to learn practical aspects of its implementation. In addition to information collected by web and mobile components, wearable biosensor data were collected both continuously in natural settings and periodically during a battery of experimental tasks administered in laboratory settings. This study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02299700. Results: Feedback collected throughout the study allowed future refinements to be planned for all components of the system. The Autism Behavior Inventory (ABI), a parent-reported measure of ASD core and associated symptoms, performed well. Among biosensors studied, the eye-tracker, sleep monitor, and electrocardiogram were shown to capture high quality data, whereas wireless electroencephalography was difficult to use due to its form factor. On an exit survey, the majority of parents rated their overall reaction to JAKE as positive/very positive. No significant device-related events were reported in the study. Conclusion: The results of this study, with the described changes, demonstrate that the JAKE system is a viable, useful, and safe platform for use in clinical trials of ASD, justifying larger validation and deployment studies of the optimized system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth L Ness
- Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research and Development, Titusville, NJ, United States
| | - Nikolay V Manyakov
- Computational Biology, Discovery Sciences, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Abigail Bangerter
- Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research and Development, Titusville, NJ, United States
| | - David Lewin
- Clinical Biostatistics, Janssen Research and Development, Titusville, NJ, United States
| | - Shyla Jagannatha
- Statistical Decision Sciences, Janssen Research and Development, Titusville, NJ, United States
| | - Matthew Boice
- Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research and Development, Titusville, NJ, United States
| | - Andrew Skalkin
- Informatics, Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA, United States
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Yvette M Janvier
- Department of Psychiatry, Children's Specialized Hospital, Toms River, NJ, United States
| | - Matthew S Goodwin
- Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Robert Hendren
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Bennett Leventhal
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Frederick Shic
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Walter Cioccia
- Global Digital Health, Janssen Research and Development, Raritan, NJ, United States
| | - Gahan Pandina
- Global Digital Health, Janssen Research and Development, Raritan, NJ, United States
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Pellerin D, Lortie A, Corbin F. Platelets as a surrogate disease model of neurodevelopmental disorders: Insights from Fragile X Syndrome. Platelets 2017; 29:113-124. [PMID: 28660769 DOI: 10.1080/09537104.2017.1317733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited form of intellectual disability and the leading monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Despite a large number of therapeutics developed in past years, there is currently no targeted treatment approved for FXS. In fact, translation of the positive and very promising preclinical findings from animal models to human subjects has so far fallen short owing in part to the low predictive validity of the Fmr1 ko mouse, an overly simplistic model of the complex human disease. This issue stresses the critical need to identify new surrogate human peripheral cell models of FXS, which may in fact allow for the identification of novel and more efficient therapies. Of all described models, blood platelets appear to be one of the most promising and appropriate disease models of FXS, in part owing to their close biochemical similarities with neurons. Noteworthy, they also recapitulate some of FXS neuron's core molecular dysregulations, such as hyperactivity of the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways, elevated enzymatic activity of MMP9 and decreased production of cAMP. Platelets might therefore help furthering our understanding of FXS pathophysiology and might also lead to the identification of disease-specific biomarkers, as was shown in several psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, there is additional evidence suggesting that platelet signaling may assist with prediction of cognitive phenotype and could represent a potent readout of drug efficacy in clinical trials. Globally, given the neurobiological overlap between different forms of intellectual disability, platelets may be a valuable window to access the molecular underpinnings of ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) sharing similar synaptic plasticity defects with FXS. Platelets are indeed an attractive model for unraveling pathophysiological mechanisms involved in NDD as well as to search for diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Pellerin
- a Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke , QC , Canada.,b Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine , McGill University , Montreal , QC , Canada
| | - Audrey Lortie
- a Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke , QC , Canada
| | - François Corbin
- a Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke , QC , Canada
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McArthur RA. Aligning physiology with psychology: Translational neuroscience in neuropsychiatric drug discovery. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:4-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Ardhanareeswaran K, Mariani J, Coppola G, Abyzov A, Vaccarino FM. Human induced pluripotent stem cells for modelling neurodevelopmental disorders. Nat Rev Neurol 2017; 13:265-278. [PMID: 28418023 DOI: 10.1038/nrneurol.2017.45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We currently have a poor understanding of the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders, owing to the fact that postmortem and imaging studies can only measure the postnatal status quo and offer little insight into the processes that give rise to the observed outcomes. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) should, in principle, prove powerful for elucidating the pathways that give rise to neurodevelopmental disorders. hiPSCs are embryonic-stem-cell-like cells that can be derived from somatic cells. They retain the unique genetic signature of the individual from whom they were derived, and thus enable researchers to recapitulate that individual's idiosyncratic neural development in a dish. In the case of individuals with disease, we can re-enact the disease-altered trajectory of brain development and examine how and why phenotypic and molecular abnormalities arise in these diseased brains. Here, we review hiPSC biology and possible experimental designs when using hiPSCs to model disease. We then discuss existing hiPSC models of neurodevelopmental disorders. Our hope is that, as some studies have already shown, hiPSCs will illuminate the pathophysiology of developmental disorders of the CNS and lead to therapeutic options for the millions that are affected by these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthikeyan Ardhanareeswaran
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | - Jessica Mariani
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | - Gianfilippo Coppola
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | - Alexej Abyzov
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Center for Individualized Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA
| | - Flora M Vaccarino
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 200 South Frontage Road, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA
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Medhasi S, Pinthong D, Pasomsub E, Vanwong N, Ngamsamut N, Puangpetch A, Chamnanphon M, Hongkaew Y, Pratoomwun J, Limsila P, Sukasem C. Pharmacogenomic Study Reveals New Variants of Drug Metabolizing Enzyme and Transporter Genes Associated with Steady-State Plasma Concentrations of Risperidone and 9-Hydroxyrisperidone in Thai Autism Spectrum Disorder Patients. Front Pharmacol 2016; 7:475. [PMID: 28018217 PMCID: PMC5147413 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study sought to investigate the genetic variants in drug metabolizing enzyme and transporter (DMET) genes associated with steady-state plasma concentrations of risperidone among Thai autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients. ASD patients taking risperidone for at least 1 month were enrolled for this pharmacogenomic study. Genotyping profile was obtained using Affymetrix DMET Plus array interrogating 1931 variants in 231 genes. Steady-state plasma risperidone and 9-hydroxyrisperidone were measured using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry assay. The final analysis included 483 markers for 167 genes. Six variants, ABCB11 (c.3084A > G, c.∗420A > G, c.∗368G > A, and c.∗236G > A) and ADH7 (c.690G > A and c.-5360G > A), were found to be associated with plasma concentrations of risperidone. 9-Hydroxyrisperidone and the total active-moiety levels were associated with six gene variants, SCLO1B1 (c.-11187G > A and c.521T > C), SLCO1B3 (c.334G > T, c.699A > G, and c.1557G > A), and SLC7A5 c.∗438C > G. Polymorphisms in UGT2B4 c.∗448A > G and CYP2D6 (c.1661G > C, c.4180G > C, and c.-2178G > A) showed considerable but not significant associations with metabolic ratio. This pharmacogenomic study identifies new genetic variants of DMET genes in monitoring risperidone therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadeep Medhasi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol UniversityBangkok, Thailand; Division of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityBangkok, Thailand; Laboratory for Pharmacogenomics, Somdech Phra Debaratana Medical Center, Ramathibodi HospitalBangkok, Thailand
| | - Darawan Pinthong
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ekawat Pasomsub
- Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Natchaya Vanwong
- Division of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityBangkok, Thailand; Laboratory for Pharmacogenomics, Somdech Phra Debaratana Medical Center, Ramathibodi HospitalBangkok, Thailand
| | - Nattawat Ngamsamut
- Yuwaprasart Waithayopathum Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital Samut Prakarn, Thailand
| | - Apichaya Puangpetch
- Division of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityBangkok, Thailand; Laboratory for Pharmacogenomics, Somdech Phra Debaratana Medical Center, Ramathibodi HospitalBangkok, Thailand
| | - Monpat Chamnanphon
- Division of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityBangkok, Thailand; Laboratory for Pharmacogenomics, Somdech Phra Debaratana Medical Center, Ramathibodi HospitalBangkok, Thailand
| | - Yaowaluck Hongkaew
- Division of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityBangkok, Thailand; Laboratory for Pharmacogenomics, Somdech Phra Debaratana Medical Center, Ramathibodi HospitalBangkok, Thailand
| | - Jirawat Pratoomwun
- Division of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityBangkok, Thailand; Laboratory for Pharmacogenomics, Somdech Phra Debaratana Medical Center, Ramathibodi HospitalBangkok, Thailand
| | - Penkhae Limsila
- Yuwaprasart Waithayopathum Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital Samut Prakarn, Thailand
| | - Chonlaphat Sukasem
- Division of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityBangkok, Thailand; Laboratory for Pharmacogenomics, Somdech Phra Debaratana Medical Center, Ramathibodi HospitalBangkok, Thailand
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Abstract
Despite the progress made in understanding the biology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), effective biological interventions for the core symptoms remain elusive. Because of the etiological heterogeneity of ASD, identification of a "one-size-fits-all" treatment approach will likely continue to be challenging. A meeting was convened at the University of Missouri and the Thompson Center to discuss strategies for stratifying patients with ASD for the purpose of moving toward precision medicine. The "white paper" presented here articulates the challenges involved and provides suggestions for future solutions.
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Neurotensin stimulates sortilin and mTOR in human microglia inhibitable by methoxyluteolin, a potential therapeutic target for autism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E7049-E7058. [PMID: 27663735 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1604992113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We had reported elevated serum levels of the peptide neurotensin (NT) in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Here, we show that NT stimulates primary human microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, and the immortalized cell line of human microglia-SV40. NT (10 nM) increases the gene expression and release (P < 0.001) of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 8 (CXCL8), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), and CCL5 from human microglia. NT also stimulates proliferation (P < 0.05) of microglia-SV40. Microglia express only the receptor 3 (NTR3)/sortilin and not the NTR1 or NTR2. The use of siRNA to target sortilin reduces (P < 0.001) the NT-stimulated cytokine and chemokine gene expression and release from human microglia. Stimulation with NT (10 nM) increases the gene expression of sortilin (P < 0.0001) and causes the receptor to be translocated from the cytoplasm to the cell surface, and to be secreted extracellularly. Our findings also show increased levels of sortilin (P < 0.0001) in the serum from children with ASD (n = 36), compared with healthy controls (n = 20). NT stimulation of microglia-SV40 causes activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling kinase, as shown by phosphorylation of its substrates and inhibition of these responses by drugs that prevent mTOR activation. NT-stimulated responses are inhibited by the flavonoid methoxyluteolin (0.1-1 μM). The data provide a link between sortilin and the pathological findings of microglia and inflammation of the brain in ASD. Thus, inhibition of this pathway using methoxyluteolin could provide an effective treatment of ASD.
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Linstead E, Burns R, Tyler D. AMP: A platform for managing and mining data in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2016; 2016:2545-2549. [PMID: 28268841 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2016.7591249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We introduce AMP (Autism Management Platform), an integrated health care information system for capturing, analyzing, and managing data associated with the diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children. AMP's mobile application simplifies the means by which parents, guardians, and clinicians can collect and share multimedia data with one another, facilitating communication and reducing data redundancy, while simplifying retrieval. Additionally, AMP provides an intelligent web interface and analytics platform which allow physicians and specialists to aggregate and mine patient data in real-time, as well as give relevant feedback to automatically learn data filtering preferences over time. Together AMP's mobile app, web client, and analytics engine implement a rich set of features that streamline the data collection and analysis process in the context of a secure and easy-to-use system so that data may be more effectively leveraged to guide treatment.
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Liu X, Campanac E, Cheung HH, Ziats MN, Canterel-Thouennon L, Raygada M, Baxendale V, Pang ALY, Yang L, Swedo S, Thurm A, Lee TL, Fung KP, Chan WY, Hoffman DA, Rennert OM. Idiopathic Autism: Cellular and Molecular Phenotypes in Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neurons. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 54:4507-4523. [PMID: 27356918 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-9961-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder whose pathophysiology remains elusive as a consequence of the unavailability for study of patient brain neurons; this deficit may potentially be circumvented by neural differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells. Rare syndromes with single gene mutations and autistic symptoms have significantly advanced the molecular and cellular understanding of autism spectrum disorders; however, in aggregate, they only represent a fraction of all cases of autism. In an effort to define the cellular and molecular phenotypes in human neurons of non-syndromic autism, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from three male autism spectrum disorder patients who had no identifiable clinical syndromes, and their unaffected male siblings and subsequently differentiated these patient-specific stem cells into electrophysiologically active neurons. iPSC-derived neurons from these autistic patients displayed decreases in the frequency and kinetics of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents relative to controls, as well as significant decreases in Na+ and inactivating K+ voltage-gated currents. Moreover, whole-genome microarray analysis of gene expression identified 161 unique genes that were significantly differentially expressed in autistic patient iPSC-derived neurons (>twofold, FDR < 0.05). These genes were significantly enriched for processes related to synaptic transmission, such as neuroactive ligand-receptor signaling and extracellular matrix interactions, and were enriched for genes previously associated with autism spectrum disorder. Our data demonstrate aberrant voltage-gated currents and underlying molecular changes related to synaptic function in iPSC-derived neurons from individuals with idiopathic autism as compared to unaffected siblings controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhuo Liu
- Laboratory of Clinical and Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, MSC 1255, Building 10, Room 1C-250, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1255, USA
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Emilie Campanac
- Molecular Neurophysiology and Biophysics Section, Program in Development Neuroscience, NICHD, NIH, 35 Convent Drive, MSC 4995, Porter Neuroscience Research Center Building 35, Room 3C-905, Bethesda, MD, 20892-4995, USA
| | - Hoi-Hung Cheung
- Laboratory of Clinical and Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, MSC 1255, Building 10, Room 1C-250, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1255, USA
- CUHK-GIBH CAS Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mark N Ziats
- Laboratory of Clinical and Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, MSC 1255, Building 10, Room 1C-250, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1255, USA
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- University at Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 9AN, UK
| | - Lucile Canterel-Thouennon
- Laboratory of Clinical and Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, MSC 1255, Building 10, Room 1C-250, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1255, USA
| | - Margarita Raygada
- Laboratory of Clinical and Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, MSC 1255, Building 10, Room 1C-250, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1255, USA
| | - Vanessa Baxendale
- Laboratory of Clinical and Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, MSC 1255, Building 10, Room 1C-250, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1255, USA
| | - Alan Lap-Yin Pang
- Laboratory of Clinical and Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, MSC 1255, Building 10, Room 1C-250, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1255, USA
| | - Lu Yang
- Laboratory of Clinical and Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, MSC 1255, Building 10, Room 1C-250, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1255, USA
| | - Susan Swedo
- Pediatrics and Developmental Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Audrey Thurm
- Pediatrics and Developmental Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Tin-Lap Lee
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kwok-Pui Fung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wai-Yee Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- CUHK-GIBH CAS Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dax A Hoffman
- Molecular Neurophysiology and Biophysics Section, Program in Development Neuroscience, NICHD, NIH, 35 Convent Drive, MSC 4995, Porter Neuroscience Research Center Building 35, Room 3C-905, Bethesda, MD, 20892-4995, USA.
| | - Owen M Rennert
- Laboratory of Clinical and Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, MSC 1255, Building 10, Room 1C-250, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1255, USA.
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Psychoactive pharmaceuticals at environmental concentrations induce in vitro gene expression associated with neurological disorders. BMC Genomics 2016; 17 Suppl 3:435. [PMID: 27356971 PMCID: PMC4943479 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2784-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background A number of researchers have speculated that neurological disorders are mostly due to the interaction of common susceptibility genes with environmental, epigenetic and stochastic factors. Genetic factors such as mutations, insertions, deletions and copy number variations (CNVs) are responsible for only a small subset of cases, suggesting unknown environmental contaminants play a role in triggering neurological disorders like idiopathic autism. Psychoactive pharmaceuticals have been considered as potential environmental contaminants as they are detected in the drinking water at very low concentrations. Preliminary studies in our laboratory identified gene sets associated with neuronal systems and human neurological disorders that were significantly enriched after treating fish brains with psychoactive pharmaceuticals at environmental concentrations. These gene expression inductions were associated with changes in fish behavior. Here, we tested the hypothesis that similar treatments would alter in vitro gene expression associated with neurological disorders (including autism) in human neuronal cells. We differentiated and treated human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells with a mixture (fluoxetine, carbamazepine and venlafaxine) and valproate (used as a positive control to induce autism-associated profiles), followed by transcriptome analysis with RNA-Seq approach. Results We found that psychoactive pharmaceuticals and valproate significantly altered neuronal gene sets associated with human neurological disorders (including autism-associated sets). Moreover, we observed that altered expression profiles in human cells were similar to gene expression profiles previously identified in fish brains. Conclusions Psychoactive pharmaceuticals at environmental concentrations altered in vitro gene expression profiles of neuronal growth, development and regulation. These expression patterns were associated with potential neurological disorders including autism, suggested psychoactive pharmaceuticals at environmental concentrations might mimic, aggravate, or induce neurological disorders. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2784-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Finding novel distinctions between the sAPPα-mediated anabolic biochemical pathways in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Fragile X Syndrome plasma and brain tissue. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26052. [PMID: 27212113 PMCID: PMC4876513 DOI: 10.1038/srep26052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Fragile X syndrome (FXS) are developmental disorders. No validated blood-based biomarkers exist for either, which impedes bench-to-bedside approaches. Amyloid-β (Aβ) precursor protein (APP) and metabolites are usually associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). APP cleavage by α-secretase produces potentially neurotrophic secreted APPα (sAPPα) and the P3 peptide fragment. β-site APP cleaving enzyme (BACE1) cleavage produces secreted APPβ (sAPPβ) and intact Aβ. Excess Aβ is potentially neurotoxic and can lead to atrophy of brain regions such as amygdala in AD. By contrast, amygdala is enlarged in ASD but not FXS. We previously reported elevated levels of sAPPα in ASD and FXS vs. controls. We now report elevated plasma Aβ and total APP levels in FXS compared to both ASD and typically developing controls, and elevated levels of sAPPα in ASD and FXS vs. controls. By contrast, plasma and brain sAPPβ and Aβ were lower in ASD vs. controls but elevated in FXS plasma vs. controls. We also detected age-dependent increase in an α-secretase in ASD brains. We report a novel mechanistic difference in APP pathways between ASD (processing) and FXS (expression) leading to distinct APP metabolite profiles in these two disorders. These novel, distinctive biochemical differences between ASD and FXS pave the way for blood-based biomarkers for ASD and FXS.
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Impairments in dendrite morphogenesis as etiology for neurodevelopmental disorders and implications for therapeutic treatments. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 68:946-978. [PMID: 27143622 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Revised: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Dendrite morphology is pivotal for neural circuitry functioning. While the causative relationship between small-scale dendrite morphological abnormalities (shape, density of dendritic spines) and neurodevelopmental disorders is well established, such relationship remains elusive for larger-scale dendrite morphological impairments (size, shape, branching pattern of dendritic trees). Here, we summarize published data on dendrite morphological irregularities in human patients and animal models for neurodevelopmental disorders, with focus on autism and schizophrenia. We next discuss high-risk genes for these disorders and their role in dendrite morphogenesis. We finally overview recent developments in therapeutic attempts and we discuss how they relate to dendrite morphology. We find that both autism and schizophrenia are accompanied by dendritic arbor morphological irregularities, and that majority of their high-risk genes regulate dendrite morphogenesis. Thus, we present a compelling argument that, along with smaller-scale morphological impairments in dendrites (spines and synapse), irregularities in larger-scale dendrite morphology (arbor shape, size) may be an important part of neurodevelopmental disorders' etiology. We suggest that this should not be ignored when developing future therapeutic treatments.
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