Serum Antibody Biomarkers for ASD
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in communication (verbal and nonverbal), social interactions, and stereotyped behaviors/interests. The etiology of ASD is not well understood, though it likely involves both genetic and environmental factors. Immune system dysfunction has been reported in ASD in many studies. Systemic immunologic alterations in autistic individuals often have been associated with autoimmunity; in particular, the generation of antibodies reactive against brain and CNS proteins. The goal of this grant is to identify serum antibody biomarkers for ASD using a novel combinatorial peptoid library that has been successful for the identification of antibody biomarkers for Alzheimer s disease. An ASD blood biomarker would be very useful for early identification and targeted therapeutic intervention. During Year-3 of the grant we have: (1) collected serum samples from additional male typically developing (TD) and ASD subjects; (2) tested the optimal peptoid for sensitivity and specificity using 74 ASD boys, 60 TD boys and for comparison 53 adult males; and (3) we have a research publication in press describing our autism blood biomarker. In addition, we have identified two new proteins that are linked to ASD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2015
- Accession Number
- AD1001224
Entities
People
- Dwight German
Organizations
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center