development – ASF Weekly Science Podcasts

The words “induced pluripotent stem cell” refer to a group of cells that are gathered from a person with a disorder, like autism, then changed or “induced” from a skin cell into an embryonic “stem” cell, and can be then made into baby brain cells, or baby heart cells or baby bone cells. This makes them “pluripotent”. This tool has been used in neurodevelopment disorders to help illustrate when the wiring of the brain starts to go off course. Things start to happen very early after conception and one of the only ways to study these things is by using either embryonic cells or these induced embryonic “stem cells”. The latter is more cost effective and more precise. This technology has an incredibly high potential in understanding autism, but it may never be used as a treatment. Nevertheless, knowing how and when brain development deviates is essential for understanding people with ASD.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-030-45493-7.pdf

This week’s headlines were focused on the new prevalence numbers of 1:40.  They were not calculated using the same method as the 1:59 number, so should not be  compared.  In addition to looking at just prevalence, this survey identified a major problem for families, which is unmet mental health needs.  Those with autism have higher unmet mental health needs than those with  ADHD, anxiety or depression.  Again, there is something unique about an autism diagnosis which poses a challenge to accessing care.  In addition, a new summary paper outlined what needs to be done to better study  regression in autism.  The rate may be higher than you think if a new definition of regression is used.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30478241

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30475449