5 Topic Commentaries

Do maternal SARDs relate to child mental health?

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  Paul Ashwood, PhD

  Immunology/Neuroimmunology

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  University of California, Davis (MIND Institute)

  We tested the ability of maternal immune history to predict ASD symptoms and the possible role that the sex of the offspring plays.

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  Kathleen Angkustsiri, MD

  Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

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  University of California, Davis (MIND Institute)

  MAR ASD positivity may be linked to more severe autism behaviors.

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  Harvey S. Singer, MD

  Pediatric Neurology

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  Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Children’s Center

  Autism is a complex disorder, and it would be naive to assume there's a single mechanism that can cause it. It's most likely the cumulative result of several factors, including genes, metabolism and environment. We believe we have identified one of these factors.

  Source
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  Gloria Choi, PhD

  Neuroscience/Neuroimmunology

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  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  We’ve shown that IL-17a acting on the fetal brain can induce autism-like behavioral phenotypes such as social deficits.

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  Jun Huh, PhD

  Immunology

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  Harvard Medical School

  There has been no mechanistic understanding of why patients with a neurodevelopmental disorder have dysregulated immune system. With the new findings, we’ve tied these fragmented links together. It may be that the reason is that they were exposed to this increase in inflammation during pregnancy.

  Source