A better understanding of how the brain changes over time could be the key to developing future treatments for neurological conditions.
One of the biggest questions facing researchers is whether brain changes that begin before birth remain fixed for life or whether they can still be influenced in adulthood, reports News Wise
That question is at the heart of a new study from UCLA Health, published in Nature Communications.
While the findings are based entirely on laboratory mice and cannot be directly applied to humans, researchers believe they have identified an important biological pathway that could shape future autism research.
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A different perspective
Previous research has suggested that inflammation during pregnancy may interfere with brain development, increasing the likelihood of autism-related characteristics in animal models.
The UCLA team wanted to determine whether those changes remain permanently fixed or whether they can still be modified later in life.
To investigate, researchers exposed pregnant mice to a mild inflammatory trigger before birth. As adults, their offspring displayed several long-lasting changes, including altered brain activity, repetitive behaviours, heightened sensitivity to sensory input and an increased susceptibility to seizures.
The researchers also observed excessive activity in the mTOR signalling pathway, which regulates cell growth and brain function.
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An unexpected result
The scientists then administered a single dose of rapamycin, a drug known to suppress the mTOR pathway. Within approximately two hours, they observed significant changes in brain function.
According to the researchers, brain activity became more balanced, communication between different brain regions improved and several behavioural abnormalities became less pronounced.
The speed of the response suggests that the drug influenced how brain cells function rather than repairing structural changes in the brain itself.
Not a treatment
Despite the promising findings, the researchers stress that rapamycin is not being proposed as a treatment for autism. The effects proved to be temporary, and repeated dosing gradually lost its effectiveness. In addition, rapamycin is an immunosuppressive drug that can cause serious side effects.
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Instead, the study highlights the mTOR pathway and the balance of neuronal activity as potential targets for future therapies.
The findings suggest that some brain functions may remain adaptable in adulthood, even when developmental changes are already established.
The researchers emphasise that much more work is needed before any clinical applications can be considered. For now, the study offers a new direction for understanding the biological mechanisms behind autism-related brain changes rather than providing a treatment for people.
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