A study from the University of California San Diego reveals that differences in brain development associated with autism begin in utero, with larger and faster-growing brain cortical organoids in autistic toddlers correlating with more severe symptoms. This research opens new avenues for understanding and potentially treating autism.
Researchers used blood-based stem cells from 10 toddlers, ages 1 through 4, with idiopathic autism to create brain cortical organoids , or models of the fetal cortex. They also created BCOs from six neurotypical toddlers.Often referred to as gray matter, the cortex lines the outside of the brain. It holds tens of billions of nerve cells and is responsible for essential functions like consciousness, thinking, reasoning, learning, memory, emotions and sensory functions.
“The bigger the brain, the better isn’t necessarily true,” said Alysson Muotri, Ph.D., director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbital Research Center at the university. The SSCI is directed by Catriona Jamieson, M.D., Ph.D., a leading physician-scientist in cancer stem cell biology whose research explores the fundamental question of how space alters cancer progression.
“The core symptoms of autism are social affective and communication problems,” said Courchesne, who also serves as co-director of the UC San Diego Autism Center of Excellence. “We need to understand the underlying neurobiological causes of those challenges and when they begin. We are the first to design an autism stem cell study of this specific and central question.”
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