Hebrew University researchers have traced the relationship between nitric oxide levels in the brain and autism. They are confident that their research will bring a cure to alleviate or eliminate autism spectrum symptoms.
The results of the study, which was led by Dr. Haytham Amal at the School of Pharmacy at the Faculty of Medicine, were published on May 22 in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Advanced Science. Researchers have experimentally shown that increased levels of nitric oxide in the brain lead to an increase in the severity of autism symptoms. Conversely, controlled reductions in nitric oxide in the brains of laboratory animals with a genetic mutation that causes autism in humans reduce indicators of autistic behavior.
The scientists’ conclusions were made on the basis of experiments on laboratory animals with various types of autism, which are classified as low-functioning. During the experiment, attention was paid to various manifestations of autism: social interaction, repetitive behavior, hyperactivity, lack of interest in new subjects, anxiety. In addition, stem cells and clinical blood samples from children with low-functioning autism were examined.
In their report, the researchers write that inhibiting the production of nitric oxide in neuronal brain cells in laboratory animals leads to a decrease in autism symptoms. The animals on which the experiment was carried out became more “social”, “stimming” decreased in their behavior, they began to show interest in new objects, and their level of anxiety also decreased.