A fascinating new study suggests that what’s happening in a mother’s gut might influence her child’s neurological development. Researchers investigating autism have turned their attention to an unexpected area – the microbiome.
The study, conducted on mice, found that certain gut bacteria can trigger an immune response involving a molecule called IL-17a. This molecule appears to affect fetal brain development in ways that mirror autism spectrum disorder. When scientists blocked IL-17a in pregnant mice, their offspring developed normally. But when the molecule was allowed to function, the baby mice showed autism-like behaviors.
Perhaps most intriguing was what happened when researchers transferred gut bacteria from affected mice to healthy ones – the autism-like traits appeared in the next generation. This suggests the mother’s microbiome, not the child’s, may be the key factor.
While we can’t yet say these findings apply to humans, they provide a promising new direction for autism research. Understanding this gut-brain connection could eventually lead to new approaches for prevention or treatment.
