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Autism can be prevented
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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In a new study, experts have found that there is a link between a mother's immune response to viral infections in a female mouse and the development of autism in her offspring. Autism was first described in 1943, but to this day the disease remains a mystery to scientists. In the United States, this disease affects 1 in 68 children, but the exact causes of autism are unknown.
A new study has provided new insight into the immune response, identifying specific immune cells that trigger some of the actions associated with autism.
Dr. Dan Litman's research team studied the specific immune response that occurs when a virus enters the body. The researchers focused on the Th17 molecule, which releases cytotoxins (signal proteins) that enhance the immune response to the presence of microbes in the body. If the level of cytotoxins becomes too high, autoimmune diseases occur in the body, when the immune system begins to work against its own body. Th17 can cause rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, psoriasis, and, according to scientists, it may also be the cause of autism.
In their experiments, the scientists were able to establish that activation of cytokine production is extremely important in the development of behavioral abnormalities in the embryo.
During the work, the specialists found out that the rodents that had elevated cytoxin levels during pregnancy subsequently showed signs of autism in their offspring (little mice could not distinguish live mice from toy ones). An autopsy showed that the mice had clear signs of the disease in their brains - the areas responsible for sound and tactile sensations were decentralized.
The experts then decided to block the production of cytotoxins in pregnant females, as a result of which no signs of the disease were detected in the newborn mice. This fact clearly indicates that cytotoxins play an important role in the development of autism, but more detailed research is required to establish the exact mechanisms of the disease. Scientists hope that it will be possible to restore the normal structure of the brain in children by blocking dangerous cells, thereby reducing the risk of autism.
Autism is a disorder that occurs when the brain does not develop properly. The disease is characterized by a pronounced lack of social interaction and communication. Autistic people often repeat the same actions and have limited interests.
The disease is usually detected during the first three years of a child's life and is considered extremely severe, as it is characterized by all sorts of mutations. Autists do not make contact with other people, most often children with this pathology lag behind in development, but physiological deviations are not always noted. Until recently, the causes of autism remained unclear, patients had disorders in various parts of the brain, but a new study allows us to hope that scientists will find a way to treat this pathology.
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