Key receptor for autism treatment identified
11 Nov 2015 by Evoluted New Media
Targeting a particular neuroreceptor – important for the development of social behaviour – can suppress unsocial behaviour in autistic mice, new study finds.
Targeting a particular neuroreceptor – important for the development of social behaviour – can suppress unsocial behaviour in autistic mice, new study finds.
A research team at the Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), California, US studied behaviour in mice with mutations in the Pten gene – that can cause autism spectrum disorders (ASD) – and found that treatment of the receptor serotonin 5-HT2cR improves social behaviour.
“Our research shows that targeting one specific serotonin receptor can reverse social deficits in a mouse model of the autism risk gene Pten. This discovery is important for understanding the role of this specific subtype of serotonin receptor in autism-relevant behaviours and could lead to new therapeutic strategies,” said research associate Dr Julien Séjourné.
In the study, published in PLoS One, the team used mice models which lacked serotonin 5-HT2cR and found that these animals exhibit social behaviour deficits as adults. Then they tested mice with mutation in the ASD risk gene Pten and discovered that a drug that suppresses the activity of 5-HT2cR can have a dramatic effect on their social behaviour.
Research leader Professor Damon Page: “We found a striking contrast between the effects of dialling down the activity of the receptor using a drug, which improved social deficits in the Pten model, versus removing the receptor completely by mutation, which actually impaired social behaviour. Important issues will be uncovering the mechanism by which modulating serotonin receptor activity can influence autism-relevant symptoms and identifying the time window and dose range where targeting serotonin receptors is most effective.”
Next, the team will study the abnormal patterns in brain growth, neurotransmitter signalling and behavioural and cognitive symptoms in individuals with ASD.
“We will expand our research into the relationship between specific risk factors, altered brain development and key neurotransmitter systems, with the ultimate goal of moving toward individualised treatments for particular subgroups of individuals with autism spectrum disorder,” said Professor Page.
Paper: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0136494
