The Prenatal Origins of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Abstract
The majority of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research to date has focused on exposure to inflammation during the prenatal period or altered neurodevelopment in the offspring. While this work is important and informative, it has not explained several key characteristics of ASD, including the variation in clinical severity and the fact that males are predominantly affected, nor has it led to earlier or improved diagnosis. The sole purpose of the placenta is to sustain the developing fetus; therefore, changes in placental function or structure may impact the developing fetus. In addition, the placenta has sex-specific vulnerabilities that may explain why ASD predominately affects males. Because of this and our preliminary data establishing placental histopathology as an important risk factor for ASD, this proposal seeks to examine the role of the placenta in ASD etiology. Specifically, this proposal will examine whether placental histopathology is associated with altered angiogenesis in the placenta and infant and whether altered placental and neonatal angiogenesis is associated with an increased risk of ASD. Angiogenesis is a process that is important for normal neurodevelopment; thus, altered angiogenesis in the child beginning in the prenatal period could impact neurodevelopment and increase the risk of ASD. In addition, we will examine whether duration of exposure to placental histopathology is associated with severity of ASD symptoms. Our focus on angiogenesis beginning in the prenatal period is also a major innovative feature of the proposed study, as it has not been traditionally examined in ASD research. The idea that ASD manifests as a result of dysregulated angiogenesis may shift the way we currently think about ASD etiology and may open the door to new treatments or therapeutic strategies and diagnostic capabilities. This proposal is also innovative in its focus on the placenta. The placenta can tell us a lot about the prenatal environment, but it is typically discarded as medical waste after the child is born. Information gleaned from the placenta has the potential to be developed into a non-invasive screening tool to identify those children at highest risk of ASD at the time of birth, well before the onset of symptoms. If children who have a high risk of ASD could be identified at birth, interventions to improve the quality of life for these children and their families could begin earlier. This is meaningful, as previous work suggests that earlier intervention is associated with improved outcomes for ASD-affected children. Finally, our collaboration with physicians who are currently diagnosing and treating ASD affected children and their families will facilitate the translation of this research to practice.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Nov 19, 2019
- Source ID
- W81XWH1910508
Entities
People
- Jennifer Straughen
Organizations
- Henry Ford Health
- United States Army