Autism Prevalence Links To Protein Shortage In Human Brain, New Study Discovers

Prevalence of autism disorder among children could be due to deficiency of protein in the brain, the latest study finds out. The study provides proof of the extensive effect that nSR100/Srrm4 protein has on features and social behavior of autism. Now, researchers hope that through this latest discovery, they can develop a treatment for the disorder.

Scientists from Toronto University lessened the protein level or nSR100, which is significant for the normal development of the brain, in mouse models. They have observed that mice with less protein can smell, move, hear and smell just like normal mice do, however when they're put in a box where they've got a chance to relate and mingle with other mice, they would instead hang out with a plastic cup place in the other end of the enclosure. It is just among the many signs that the animals are acting in a way that nearly parallels autism disorder in human beings.

Findings of the study have shown that a shortage in nSR100/Srrm4 in mice can trigger normal autistic behaviors. These include increased sensitivity to the environment and impaired social interactions.

Furthermore, the study suggests that protein shortage might account for as several as 33 percents of cases of autism disorder in mice. The Globe And Mail quoted Benjamin Blencowe, co-author of the study, as saying: "We've really hit upon a common mechanism that may account for at least one-third of autism spectrum disorder cases."

Autism disorder, which is well-known for changing social behavior, is a nervous system disorder affecting over one percent of the whole population. The Toronto research provides proof that nSR100/Srrm4 protein shortage is associated with autism disorder.

The Scientist noted that the Toronto scientists first came across protein nSR100 in 2014, when they've found out that the nSR100 protein was the main controller of alternative splicing, a system which cells, particularly in the brain, use to twist how DNA yields proteins. The first study has shown that the protein level is lessened in the brains of people with autism. However this time, the researchers have demonstrated that mice bred with a shortage of nSR100 display several signs of autism disorder.