The Environmental Toxicant Fluoxetine Drives Autism Synaptic Pathology Grant uri icon

abstract

  • Autism is one of the fastest growing developmental disabilities, currently affecting 1 in 68 children and rapidly increasing in prevalence1. These rates are even higher in North Carolina, with ~1 in 58 children affected2. If this rate continues to rise, it is estimated that Autism healthcare costs will top $1 trillion by 20253. In addition to social deficits, Autism predisposes patients to obesity4 and Type 2 diabetes5, both of which are endemic to eastern North Carolina. Thus, identifying preventable risk factors as well as their mechanism of action will aid in both prevention and potential therapeutics to address this growing neurodevelopmental epidemic. The complex interactions between environmental and genetic risk factors have impeded the development of Autism therapies. To address this interaction, our proposed research uses a cortical brain organoid model (?mini-brains?) to examine how the environmental risk factor, Fluoxetine/Prozac, impacts brain development through regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, one of the major pathways affected by Autism-associated genetic mutations.

date/time interval

  • January 2018 - December 2018