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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: immune system

December 2023
Research image of microglia in mice.

Microglial overreaction to atypical neurons may drive autism

by  /  7 December 2023

In mice and organoids lacking a neuronal protein, microglia prune synapses to excess.

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July 2023
A multiplexed image of human decidua.

Atlas charts cells of human placenta, uterus across early pregnancy

by  /  27 July 2023

A new resource gives an unparalleled look at how fetal placental cells attach to the uterine wall and remodel maternal blood vessels to access nutrients.

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Still image from a video of nerves being visualized in the body of a transparent mouse.

‘wildDISCO’ cocktail yields whole-body maps of mouse neurons and more

by  /  20 July 2023

A new technique used to create see-through rodents can help scientists analyze how the nervous system interacts with other body systems.

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June 2023
Research image comparing microglia with serotonin receptors to those without.

Serotonin powers pruning of developing brain circuits in mice

by  /  28 June 2023

Mice with microglia missing receptors for the neurotransmitter serotonin since birth have too many synapses and show social difficulties in adulthood.

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March 2023
Research image of the posterior insular cortex.

Maternal immune response dulls male rats’ social radar

by  /  27 March 2023

Male rats prenatally exposed to a maternal immune response have atypical responses to other rats in distress, according to a new study.

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Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results.

Null and Noteworthy: Registered reports; motor measurements; viral DNA

by  /  16 March 2023

In this edition of Null and Noteworthy, Spectrum talks with a Nature editor about the journal’s move to publish more null results.

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January 2023
A sliced section of a human brain is displayed for a photograph.

Immunity-linked genes expressed differently in brains of autistic people

by  /  6 January 2023

Postmortem brain samples from people with one of six conditions, including autism, show distinct signatures of over- and underexpression of immune genes.

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December 2022
Illustration of a pregnant woman seated next to a large diagram of the brain featuring chromosomes, bacteria and other microbes.

The link between maternal infection and autism, explained

by  /  13 December 2022

Having an infection during pregnancy is tied to a small increase in the chances of having an autistic child, but the connection may not be causal.

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November 2022
Light micrograph of microglia cells stained with Rio Hortega’s silver carbonate method.

Autism’s sex bias tied to glial, immune cell gene expression

by  /  22 November 2022

The function of microglia and astrocytes in the brain may mediate the intersection of sex-differential biology and autism biology.

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September 2022
A pregnant woman lies in a hospital bed.

Registry review casts doubt on causal link between maternal infection and autism

by  /  23 September 2022

The long-standing link between maternal infection during pregnancy and having a child with autism may reflect common genetic or environmental factors instead.

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