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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: immune system

August 2022
Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results.

Null and Noteworthy: Mind reading, specialist shortage, sleep problems source

by  /  23 August 2022

This month, a commonly used emotion-recognition test doesn’t perform as expected — nor does a survey of past efforts to train autism specialists or a hunt for the sources of the sleep problems that often accompany the condition.

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Portrait of Judy Van De Water at her home in Fort Bragg, CA, with her paintings.

Beyond the bench: A conversation with Judy Van de Water

by  /  12 August 2022

When Van de Water isn’t busy mentoring “the next generation of scientists” in her lab, she finds time to paint, watch HGTV and hang out with her horse, Hank.

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June 2022
Illustration of a pregnant woman in a peach-colored shirt and light red pants standing in profile against a backdrop of chromosomes

Autism linked to inflammatory bowel disease in parents

by  /  28 June 2022

The inflammation associated with the disease, particularly in mothers, may contribute to autism traits in children.

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May 2022
Color-coded brain images showing reduced thickness of superior frontal gyrus and other regions associated with presence of increased levels of inflammatory moleucle IL-6.

Inflammation may reshape brain regions tied to autism

by  /  6 May 2022

Having a genetic predisposition to inflammation is linked to structural changes in brain regions implicated in neurodevelopmental conditions.

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March 2022

Lisa Croen: Autism’s first dedicated epidemiologist

by  /  28 March 2022

Inspired by watching her autistic nephew grow up, Croen has also been an advocate for bolstering research and services for autistic adults.

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Brain floating in red uetero-like space with virus

As the pandemic wanes, will autism diagnoses rise in its wake?

by  /  2 March 2022

Given the known link between severe maternal infections and autism, some scientists are investigating whether COVID-19 during pregnancy can affect a child’s neurodevelopment.

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February 2022

Immune gene tied to social behavior in autism mouse model

by  /  3 February 2022

Activating the immune system blunts social behavior in mice missing a copy of the autism-linked gene SHANK3, according to a new study. Blocking TRPV4, which encodes an ion channel involved in inflammatory responses, can reverse this effect.

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January 2022

Researchers retract study of an immune effect on synapse development

by  /  24 January 2022

A failed replication and other problems led autism researcher Beth Stevens and her co-investigator to retract the nearly 10-year-old report.

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Micrograph of intestinal bacteria.

Infection in pregnant mice ups risk of gut problems in pups

by  /  18 January 2022

Infection during pregnancy can tweak a mouse’s gut microbiome in ways that have lasting effects on her pups’ immune system and increase their chances of gut inflammation, a new study suggests.

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November 2021

Including immune cells in brain organoids improves model’s accuracy

by  /  15 November 2021

Cortical organoids that contain non-neuronal brain cells called microglia may reflect human neurodevelopment more faithfully than those that don’t.

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