January 15, 2024
- Results from a new study revealed that children with ASD and a history of maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy exhibited significantly higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), indicating persistent peripheral inflammation. The study suggests that NLR could serve as a potential biomarker for immune dysregulation in ASD patients exposed to MIA. These findings contribute to the understanding of the role of immune dysregulation in the pathophysiology of ASD, emphasizing the potential impact of MIA on a chronic pro-inflammatory state in affected children.
- Don’t miss Andrew Huberman’s podcast and YouTube interview with Karen Parker, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and director of the Social Neurosciences Research Program at Stanford University School of Medicine. This episode discusses the biology of social connections, bonding in babies, children and adults. Dr. Parker explains the current understanding of autism and autism spectrum disorders, including what they are, why the incidence of autism has increased dramatically in recent years, and both the current and emerging treatments for autism.
- Longboard Pharmaceuticals‘ experimental drug, bexicaserin, has shown promising results in an early-stage trial for patients with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEE). The bexicaserin treatment demonstrated a substantial 53.3% reduction in seizures across the study group, which included patients with various seizure disorders such as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. This significant reduction far surpassed the 20.8% observed in the placebo group. However, there were notable side effects, with a high rate of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). Despite this, Longboard is optimistic about its drug’s potential and plans to incorporate key learnings from the trial into the upcoming phase 3 program.
- The Neuroimmune Institute is holding a live virtual event via webinar on March 1-2, 2024. “Improving Quality of Life in Patients with Autism: Emerging Research, Evaluation, and Management of Co-Occurring Conditions Conference 2024” aims to improve the quality of life for individuals on the spectrum by educating physicians on medical comorbidities that are difficult to diagnose or over-represented in people with autism compared to neurotypical individuals as well as providing an overview of emerging research. Tickets are now on sale, and fee waivers are also available.
