Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, 12 Smętna Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Oct 26;22(21):11544. doi: 10.3390/ijms222111544.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term encompassing several neurodevelopmental disorders such as Asperger syndrome or autism. It is characterised by the occurrence of distinct deficits in social behaviour and communication and repetitive patterns of behaviour. The symptoms may be of different intensity and may vary in types. Risk factors for ASD include disturbed brain homeostasis, genetic predispositions, or inflammation during the prenatal period caused by viruses or bacteria. The number of diagnosed cases is growing, but the main cause and mechanism leading to ASD is still uncertain. Recent findings from animal models and human cases highlight the contribution of glia to the ASD pathophysiology. It is known that glia cells are not only "gluing" neurons together but are key players participating in different processes crucial for proper brain functioning, including neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, inflammation, myelination, proper glutamate processing and many others. Despite the prerequisites for the involvement of glia in the processes related to the onset of autism, there are far too little data regarding the engagement of these cells in the development of ASD.
自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）是一个涵盖几种神经发育障碍的总称，如阿斯伯格综合征或自闭症。它的特点是在社交行为和沟通以及重复行为模式中出现明显缺陷。症状的强度可能不同，类型也可能不同。ASD 的风险因素包括大脑内环境紊乱、遗传易感性，或产前由病毒或细菌引起的炎症。被诊断出的病例数量正在增加，但导致 ASD 的主要原因和机制仍不确定。动物模型和人类病例的最新发现强调了神经胶质细胞对 ASD 病理生理学的贡献。已知神经胶质细胞不仅是“粘合”神经元的关键，而且还参与许多对大脑正常功能至关重要的不同过程，包括神经发生、突触发生、炎症、髓鞘形成、适当的谷氨酸处理等。尽管神经胶质细胞参与与自闭症发病相关的过程的前提条件已经存在，但关于这些细胞在自闭症发展中的作用的数据还远远不够。
