[ad_1]
IMAGE: The vast colonies of bacteria and other non-human cells in the body are collectively known as the microbiome. In the gut, they perform a wide range of critical tasks. Researchers have found … see more
Credit: public domain
According to the Centers for Disease Research, 1 in 54 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) each year, and the number has been increasing. The disease causes perplexing lifelong developmental disabilities, usually arising during early childhood and affecting social skills, communication, personal relationships and self-control.
In new research appearing in the journal mSphere, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, James Adams and their colleagues highlight the crucial importance of bacterial microbes in the human gut for the diagnosis and treatment of ASD.
Autism is considered a “spectrum disorder,” characterized by a variety of stereotypical behaviors that can affect people to varying degrees. Although genetic correlates have been implicated, the full range of underlying causes of ASDs remains murky. Despite the prevalence of the disease and its profound social impact, there is currently no effective FDA-approved treatment for the disorder.
In previous studies, researchers looked at the effects on ASD symptoms after using a revolutionary approach, known as microbial transfer therapy (MTT). The procedure, in which intestinal microbiota from healthy donors are transplanted into ASD patients for a period of 7-8 weeks, produced marked alterations in the ASD intestine, improving both gastrointestinal and behavioral symptoms of the disease. Surprisingly, the improvement in symptoms continued for two years after the study ended.
The new research takes a closer look at altered plasma and fecal metabolites through MTT. According to Krajmalnik Brown, a professor in ASU’s School of Sustainable Engineering and Built Environment, a researcher at the Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, and director of the newly formed Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, “Observing metabolites is important because it can help us understand how metabolites microorganisms affect gastrointestinal symptoms and behavior. They can also be used as biomarkers. “
In fact, the analysis of 619 plasma metabolites in the new study showed a distinctive metabolic profile in children with ASD before the MTT procedure. Careful investigation of metabolites in the blood and feces, rather than simply tabulating the microbial species in the gut, is crucial when it comes to unraveling complex bacterial interactions, which can form networks of collaboration and competition, depending on the particularities of its surroundings.
After the procedure, the levels of key metabolites in plasma became more similar to the levels in typically developing children, suggesting that this was the result of adjusting the constellation of bacteria to more closely resemble conditions in the healthy gut. normal, including a marked increase in microbes. diversity.
The new research highlights significant metabolic changes in plasma samples and more modest alterations in fecal samples. “It was exciting to identify many differences in metabolite levels between children with autism and typically developing children, and to see that many of the metabolite levels improved after microbiome transplantation,” says Adams, professor at the School of Engineering of Matter, Transportation and Energy and Director of the Autism / Asperger Research Program at ASU.
Additional research will help advance our understanding of the complex and vital interactions between the gut microbiome and neurological characteristics associated with ASD, and will help fine-tune MTT therapy or other microbe-based therapies, for greater effectiveness in mitigating them. symptoms of ASD.
###
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of press releases published on EurekAlert. by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.
