One of the key findings involves a group of molecules called purines — building blocks of DNA that also act as chemical messengers in the brain. In typically developing children, something important happens between birth and age 5: the brain’s signaling gradually shifts from a highly excitable state toward a more balanced, calmer one. It’s part of how children learn to regulate themselves.

Naviaux’s team found evidence that the purine signaling system was already altered at birth in babies who later developed ASD. By age 5, the difference became even more pronounced. In typically developing children, the purine network undergoes a dramatic developmental reorganization that helps regulate cellular communication. In children with ASD, this maturation process appeared to be incomplete, suggesting that the biological differences seen at birth may persist throughout early childhood.

Rather than completing the developmental transition seen in typically developing children, the purine signaling system in children with ASD appeared to remain in a more excitable state. This may help explain why many children with ASD are more sensitive to sensory experiences such as loud sounds, bright lights, or unexpected changes in routine. Their brains are not malfunctioning; rather, the biological systems that help regulate and dampen incoming signals may be functioning differently from a very early age.

The researchers also found that children with ASD had lower levels of several protective molecules — natural antioxidants and cellular repairmen like glutathione and CoQ10 — alongside higher levels of stress-related chemicals. This chronic stress state, which the researchers call the “Cell Danger Response (CDR),” appears to be a central part of what goes wrong in ASD — not a single broken gene, but a system stuck in alarm mode. The encouraging part is that systems can be reset. Several experimental therapies targeting exactly this pathway are currently being explored in clinical trials.

Can autism be detected earlier than the current diagnostic age? Can parents know if their child has ASD at infancy? Researchers including Cell-El are working to answer these questions. Cell-El’s AI-powered technology analyzes a blood-based protein biomarker (proteomic) panel to identify patterns that differentiate children with ASD from typically developing peers. To further understand the differences and how ASD may become apparent in the cells at a young age, Cell-El has expanded the study to include infants who have not been diagnosed with ASD and who are siblings of children with ASD. If you have a child who fits the criteria for the Cell-El infant study, please contact Leah at [email protected] .