Inflammation May Be Main Driver Of Autism

[Mito]

• Researchers studied the brains of eight children with autism and eight children without the disorder
• The brains of autistic children had high numbers of a protein called IL-18, which is known to bring about serious inflammatory responses
• It was in the part of the brain that plays a role in working memory and attention
• These are areas that are impaired in people who have autism

“Inflammation may be main driver behind autism, a new study suggests.

Researchers compared the brains of eight children with the developmental disorder and eight children without it.

They found the parts of the autistic children's brains that are crucial to working memory and attention - areas that are impaired in people who have autism - had unusually high levels of a molecule known to trigger inflammation.

The team, led by Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, says the findings suggests that drugs that target anti-inflammatory proteins could one day be an effective treatment for autism.”

Inflammation may be main driver of autism, say scientists who studied brains of 8 kids on spectrum | Daily Mail Online

 

[lampofred]

Very interesting.

 

[AnonE]

What remedies might one try to combat this inflammation in their children?

 

[Mito]

What remedies might one try to combat this inflammation in their children?

Haidut speculates that blocking the effects of endotoxin might help with chronic inflammation in this post: Damaged Mitochondria And Endotoxin (LPS) Drive Chronic Inflammation