Skip to main content

Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: gut

June 2021
Illustration of transporter mice in brain maze

After 60 years, scientists are still trying to crack a mysterious serotonin-autism link

by  /  4 June 2021

The high levels of serotonin seen in the blood of some autistic people have confounded scientists for more than half a century. Despite so little progress, some researchers refuse to give up.

Comments
May 2021
Mouse gut cells in blue, purple and pink

Loss of top autism-linked gene from gut alters behavior in mice

by  /  4 May 2021

Deleting CHD8 from the intestines induces gastrointestinal and behavioral changes in mice that resemble traits in people with mutations in the gene.

Comments
April 2021
VItamin and probiotic supplements float in space with food colored pink and green on black

The gut’s connection to autism

by  /  21 April 2021

Autistic children are up to four times as likely as their non-autistic peers to have digestive problems, and several small studies show they may also have atypical microbial communities living in their guts.

Comments
March 2021
Scanning elecgron micrograph of Faecal bacteria.

Gut microbes shape social behavior in autism mouse model

by  /  26 March 2021

Treating mice missing the autism-linked gene CNTNAP2 with a strain of gut bacteria makes them more social but no less hyperactive.

Comments
January 2021
SEM of faecal bacteria.

Study hints at microbiome differences in children with autism

by  /  14 January 2021

Children with autism may have a subtly different set of bacteria in their gut than their non-autistic siblings do.

Comments
November 2020
SYNGAP1 protein between neurons.

Reactions from the 2020 SYNGAP1 Scientific Conference

by  /  25 November 2020

Spectrum is covering the 2020 International SYNGAP1 Scientific Conference, which took place virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. Here we’re highlighting researchers’ reactions to noteworthy presentations.

Comments
October 2020
Gut neurons and glia (red, green) are fragile and interwoven with other cells (blue) in the colon, making them tricky to isolate.

Cell maps reveal diversity of neurons in gut

by  /  21 October 2020

An atlas that details gene expression in neurons and other cells from the intestines of mice and people may help to elucidate the link between gut problems and autism.

Comments
June 2020

Beyond the bench: A conversation with Jack Gilbert

by  /  9 June 2020

Jack Gilbert is teasing out how microbes transform their home environments, from the comfort of his own.

Comments
January 2020
Teenage girl with headache

Autistic people have increased incidence of neurological problems

by  /  23 January 2020

People with autism have more brain-related health problems, such as headaches and epilepsy, than typical people do.

Comments
December 2019

Five hot topics in autism research in 2019

by  /  23 December 2019

This year’s hot topics in autism research center around brain organoids, heart rate, the gut microbiome, treatment timing and early detection.

Comments