Microglia and astrocytes underlie neuroinflammation and synaptic susceptibility in autism spectrum disorder 2023 Xiong et al

[Sly Saint]

• Cerebrovascular Diseases Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder with onset in childhood. The mechanisms underlying ASD are unclear. In recent years, the role of microglia and astrocytes in ASD has received increasing attention. Microglia prune the synapses or respond to injury by sequestrating the injury site and expressing inflammatory cytokines. Astrocytes maintain homeostasis in the brain microenvironment through the uptake of ions and neurotransmitters. However, the molecular link between ASD and microglia and, or astrocytes remains unknown. Previous research has shown the significant role of microglia and astrocytes in ASD, with reports of increased numbers of reactive microglia and astrocytes in postmortem tissues and animal models of ASD. Therefore, an enhanced understanding of the roles of microglia and astrocytes in ASD is essential for developing effective therapies. This review aimed to summarize the functions of microglia and astrocytes and their contributions to ASD.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1125428/full

In patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), who manifests with fatigue, malaise, sleep disorders, and cognitive problems, the exosome-associated mtDNA could stimulate human microglia to release IL-1β (Tsilioni et al., 2022).

 

[RedFox]

If autism is associated with changes in how microglia or astrocytes behave, and if ME turns out to be a disorder of these cells, it might explain my case. I got ME without a clear trigger. Speculating wildly, I wonder if the intense stress I experienced at the time of my onset was enough to tip my already-vulnerable brain cells into a pathological state. (Stress may have the potential to affect microglial function too.)

Who knows? I half-expect Johnathan Edwards to come in and explain why that's not physically possible. Or someone could come up with a more convincing hypothesis in ten years that doesn't involve the brain. I honestly hope that's the case, since we don't exactly have a good record treating neurological diseases.