Study Reveals Potential Link Between Gut Health and Autism

Recent research has highlighted how our gut microbiome significantly impacts overall health, influencing everything from mental health and stress response to susceptibility to autoimmune conditions like type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

A new study in The Journal of Immunology adds more depth to this understanding, suggesting a possible link between the gut microbiome and autism. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), autism encompasses a wide range of brain development disorders that affect social skills and communication. Many individuals with autism also deal with other conditions, including epilepsy, depression, anxiety, ADHD, sleep issues, and self-harming behaviors, with cognitive abilities differing widely among individuals.

The study found that a mother’s gut microbiome might play a more critical role in a child developing autism than the child’s own. Lead researcher John Lukens from the University of Virginia School of Medicine noted that the microbiome influences how the developing brain and immune system respond to various stressors.

A specific immune molecule, interleukin-17a (IL-17a), may hold the key to understanding the link. IL-17a has previously been associated with conditions like psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, and it also supports the body’s defense against fungal infections. Importantly, this molecule appears to affect brain development during pregnancy.

In the study, mice with differing gut bacteria were examined. One group had bacteria that caused a stronger IL-17a immune reaction, while the other group did not. When IL-17a was suppressed in both groups, the mice behaved typically. However, once the interference ended, mice in the first group exhibited autism-like behaviors such as repetition and fixation.

Researchers then transferred fecal matter from the first group to the second, effectively transplanting the pro-inflammatory gut bacteria. These mice, too, began showing behaviors associated with autism.

Though the study was only conducted on mice, it offers a valuable base for future research exploring how maternal gut health could influence the development of autism and other neurological conditions.

Lukens emphasized the importance of identifying microbiome traits in pregnant women that might relate to autism risk. He also noted that adjusting the mother’s microbiome safely during pregnancy could be a future strategy.

However, targeting IL-17a during pregnancy might pose risks, as immune balance is crucial to protecting both the mother and the fetus. Lukens mentioned that many other immune-related molecules should be explored since IL-17a is only a small piece of the puzzle.