Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects at least 1.7 percent of 8-year-olds in the U.S., and it can make social communication like talking and interactions with others difficult. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a hard time at school and often engage in repetitive behaviors.
Now, researchers show the collection of bacteria and other microorganisms in the gut known as the microbiome contributes to autism-like behaviors such as decreased social interactions and repetitive actions in mice. The discovery means that new therapies for autism based on the microbiome might be possible.
“While all studies in mice need to be validated in humans, our discoveries suggest that microbiome-based treatments may be effective in ASD,” said Sarkis Mazmanian, a microbiologist at CalTech who led the new research.
Researchers have known for nearly two decades that gut bacteria differ between typically developing children and children with autism. But what remained unknown was whether ...
