Tag Archives: mouse model
We have just published our first paper on extending the rodent model of maternal immune activation to monkeys. As repeat readers of this blog, and the accompanying book, well know, an important risk factor for both autism and schizophrenia is … Continue reading
More evidence of immune involvement in autism and schizophrenia, and implications for therapy
Given that many studies have provided evidence that infection in pregnant women is associated with increased risk for autism and schizophrenia in the offspring, Alan Brown and his colleagues in Finland measured the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), an established biomarker of … Continue reading
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Tagged antibiotic, antipsychotic, autism, cytokine, fragile x, inflammation, maternal infection, mental-health, mouse model, Rett syndrome
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Pure cure for autism?
An impressive new paper is just out from Robert Naviaux, Susan Powell and colleagues at UC San Diego. They use our mouse model of the autism and schizophrenia risk factor, maternal immune activation during pregnancy, to show that a drug … Continue reading
Another top 10 list for 2012
Elaine Hsiao’s paper also made the top 10 list of “Notable papers of 2012” from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative. Her paper was coupled with the one from Derecki et al., who also reported on the efficacy of bone … Continue reading
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Tagged autism, cytokine, flu, inflammation, influenza, maternal infection, mental-health, mouse model, schizophrenia
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We’re in the top 10, as well as the top 12!
Congrats to Elaine Hsiao our super-productive graduate student who passed her exam to get her PhD at the end of 2012. Her paper, “Modeling an autism risk factor in mice leads to permanent immune dysregulation”, was just named one of the … Continue reading
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Tagged autism, autoimmune disease, cytokine, inflammation, maternal infection, mouse model, multiple sclerosis, Rett syndrome
2 Comments
Advances presented at the recent Society for Neuroscience meeting
After 5 intensive days at the annual meeting held this year in New Orleans, things are just getting back to normal around here. Among the >28,000 participants, there were several presentations that particularly caught my eye in the areas of … Continue reading
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Tagged autism, autoimmune disease, cytokine, epilepsy, fragile x, health, IGF, il-10, inflammation, ketogenic diet, mental-health, mouse model, multiple sclerosis, neuregulin, Rett syndrome, schizophrenia, seizure, socialability
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Our “strangest discovery”
The Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, Tom Insel, comments on relevant research advances periodically, and on Aug 24 he had this to say, “The strangest discovery of the summer may be the report of bone marrow transplants … Continue reading
Posted in General
Tagged autism, bone marrow transplant, GI symptoms and autism, inflammation, leaky gut, maternal infection, microbiome, mouse model, NIMH
17 Comments
The placenta and autism risk, and our genius collaborator
Elaine Hsiao and I just published an invited note on the SFARI (Simons Foundation autism Research Initiative) site regarding the role of the placenta in autism. The title they place on the article, “Placenta plays potent role in autism risk”, is … Continue reading
Posted in General
Tagged autism, cytokine, inflammation, maternal infection, mouse model, PANDAS, placenta, SFARI, Simons Foundation
5 Comments
Gastrointestinal and microbiome changes in autism?
Tony Persico and V. Napolioni have just published a review article centered around their finding that a particular molecule, p-cresol, is excreted (found in the urine) at higher levels in autistic kids than in controls. I described their initial finding … Continue reading
Nutritional supplement for rare form of autism?
A mutation in the gene for an enzyme (BCKDK) that blocks the breakdown of certain amino acids has been linked to a very rare form of autism, epilepsy and intellectual disability. Thus, these patients have abnormally low levels of these amino … Continue reading
Posted in General
Tagged autism, epilepsy, intellectual disability, mouse model, seizure
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