Some autism spectrum disorder symptoms linked to astrocytes

Abnormalities in a type of brain cell called astrocytes may play a key role in causing certain behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, according to a preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers

In the study, published April 1 in Molecular Psychiatry, senior author Dr.

"Our study suggests that astrocyte abnormalities may contribute to the development and progression of autism spectrum disorders," said Dr.

Most research on autism spectrum disorders has focused on the role of neurons, a type of brain cell that transmits information in the brain

"We don't know if abnormalities in these astrocytes contribute to the development of disease, or if these abnormalities are a consequence of disease," Dr.

To determine whether astrocytes might develop early in the disease, the team took stem cells from people with autism spectrum disorder, induced them to develop into astrocytes in the lab, and transplanted them into other Human-mouse chimeras were created in the brains of healthy newborn mice

Using a microscopy technique called two-photon imaging, they observed excess calcium signaling in human astrocytes in transplanted mouse brains, co-lead author, Weill Cornell Medical College Neuropsychiatry Science lecturer Dr Ben Huang explained

"It was surprising to see these human astrocytes respond to behavioral changes in active mice," said Dr.

To determine whether the increased calcium signaling caused behavioral symptoms in the mice, the team infected astrocytes grown from stem cells from ASD patients with a virus that carried an RNA segment designed to reduce calcium signaling to normal levels

"Future treatments for autism may take advantage of this finding by using genetic tools to limit the extreme fluctuations in calcium within astrocytes," said co-author Megan Allen, director of Weill Cornell Medicine.

Dr.

"It is important to identify the role of specific types of brain cells, including astrocytes, in neurodevelopment and neuropsychiatric disease," she said

Courtesy of Weill Cornell Medicine