A single dose reversed autism-like symptoms in adult mice within hours
UCLA researchers found that a single dose of the drug rapamycin temporarily reversed autism-like symptoms in adult mice exposed to inflammation in the womb. While not a human treatment, the study highlights the brain's functional adaptability.
Why it matters
The rapid response suggests that targeting functional brain circuitry could be a viable path for future neurodevelopmental disorder therapies.
A UCLA Health study in mice has found that inflammation during pregnancy can produce lasting autism-like changes in offspring. The researchers also discovered that many of the resulting brain and behavioral effects could be improved rapidly in adulthood, although only temporarily, with a single dose of the immune-suppressing drug rapamycin.
Previous research has shown that even mild inflammation in the middle of pregnancy can affect developing offspring. Reported consequences include autism-like behaviors, unusual brain growth, seizures, and greater sensitivity to ordinary sounds, touch, and other sensory experiences. These effects can continue into adulthood.
In the new study, published in Nature Communications , UCLA scientists found that one dose of rapamycin improved brain communication and behavior in the affected mice in about two hours. That response was far too fast for the drug to have repaired the underlying physical changes in the brain caused by maternal inflammation.
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