Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2023
Keywords
Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Autophagy, Macrophage Polarization, Neurogenesis, Taurine
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.3390/neuroglia4010001
Abstract
Contemporary research has found that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit aberrant immunological function, with a shift toward increased cytokine production and unusual cell function. Microglia and astroglia were found to be significantly activated in immuno-cytochemical studies, and cytokine analysis revealed that the macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor β-1 (TGFB-1), all generated in the neuroglia, constituted the most predominant cytokines in the brain. Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a promising therapeutic molecule able to increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes and ATPase, which may be protective against aluminum-induced neurotoxicity. It can also stimulate neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and reprogramming of proinflammatory M1 macrophage polarization by decreasing mitophagy (mitochondrial autophagy) and raising the expression of the markers of the anti-inflammatory and pro-healing M2 macrophages, such as macrophage mannose receptor (MMR, CD206) and interleukin 10 (IL-10), while lowering the expression of the M1 inflammatory factor genes. Taurine also induces autophagy, which is a mechanism that is impaired in microglia cells and is critically associated with the pathophysiology of ASD. We hypothesize here that taurine could reprogram the metabolism of M1 macrophages that are overstimulated in the nervous system of people suffering from ASD, thereby decreasing the neuroinflammatory process characterized by autophagy impairment (due to excessive microglia activation), neuronal death, and improving cognitive functions. Therefore, we suggest that taurine can serve as an important lead for the development of novel drugs for ASD treatment.
Rights Information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Neuroglia, v. 4, issue 1, p. 1-14
Scholar Commons Citation
Rubio-Casillas, Alberto; Redwan, Elrashdy M.; and Uversky, Vladimir N., "On the Potential Therapeutic Roles of Taurine in Autism Spectrum Disorder" (2023). Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications. 1042.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/mme_facpub/1042
