as evident from mouse models.
Moreover, it can also alter the mother’s microbiome that in turn results in an altered immune system of the fetus—primed for future inflammatory attacks.
“We’ve shown that IL-17a acting on the fetal brain can induce autism-like behavioral phenotypes such as social deficits. Now we are showing that the same IL-17a in mothers, through changes in the microbiome community, produces comorbid symptoms such as a primed immune system,” says Choi, Mark Hyman Jr. Career Development associate professor in The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and department of brain and cognitive sciences at MIT.
The present study thus establishes a strong environmental link between the central nervous and immune systems among those affected with autism spectrum disorders. However, the study requires further validation through human studies.
Source: Medindia
