Ayoub George
Psychology, Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA 93109, USA.
Cells. 2024 Nov 28;13(23):1968. doi: 10.3390/cells13231968.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability that presents significant challenges in communication and behavior. ASD prevalence exceeds 2% among eight-year-old children and is at similar levels globally. We propose that critical periods during fetal development and early postnatal years establish the conditions for either neurotypical development or the emergence of autism through mechanisms that influence immune function or delay neuronal development. One critical period is characterized by the requirement for folate, a crucial methyl donor needed for DNA regulation. Insufficient folate availability has been linked to the risk of developing ASD. Another critical period may be affected by oxidative stress or inflammation of the fetal brain, potentially due to inadequate microglial immunity, which can lead to CNS inflammatory changes that disrupt typical neurodevelopment. We suggest that early supplementation with reduced folate and taurine during both the fetal and postnatal stages may be effective in mitigating the severity of ASD symptoms by promoting neurotypical development through these critical neurodevelopmental periods.
自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）是一种神经发育障碍，在沟通和行为方面带来重大挑战。ASD在八岁儿童中的患病率超过2%，且在全球范围内处于相似水平。我们提出，胎儿发育和出生后早期的关键时期通过影响免疫功能或延迟神经元发育的机制，为神经典型发育或自闭症的出现奠定了条件。一个关键时期的特点是对叶酸有需求，叶酸是DNA调节所需的关键甲基供体。叶酸供应不足与患ASD的风险有关。另一个关键时期可能受胎儿大脑氧化应激或炎症的影响，这可能是由于小胶质细胞免疫不足所致，可导致中枢神经系统炎症变化，扰乱典型的神经发育。我们建议，在胎儿期和出生后阶段早期补充还原型叶酸和牛磺酸，可能通过在这些关键神经发育时期促进神经典型发育，有效减轻ASD症状的严重程度。
