Microglia in autism spectrum disorder: heterogeneity, immunometabolism, and synapse-related pathways - PubMed
3 days ago
- #Microglia
- #Immunometabolism
- #Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Evidence points to immune- and glia-associated changes in a subset of ASD brains, but a single ASD-wide microglial phenotype is not supported.
- Microglial involvement in ASD appears region-, stage-, sex-, and context-dependent, with variations tied to broader tissue-level changes.
- Immunometabolic factors like lipid handling, mitochondrial function, and phagocytic-lysosomal load influence microglial competence in ASD-related contexts.
- Mechanisms at the microglia-synapse interface include complement deposition, phosphatidylserine exposure, and astrocyte-microglia crosstalk, offering more precise insights than broad activation labels.
- Key challenges include distinguishing primary pathogenic effects from secondary adaptation and linking molecular signatures to abnormal synaptic remodeling in ASD.