This is an open-access book which compiles evidence of the biological basis of Autism Spectrum Disorders which are setting the stage for understanding the mechanisms underlying the behavioral symptoms of the condition and for development of targeted therapeutics. 

In the Opening Editorial Cell El’s Researchers Write:

“The frequency of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is increasing with a 30% reported increase in pediatric prevalence from 2012 to 2014 in the U.S. until present rates of about 1 in 68 children or 1.5% of children in the U.S. (Corcoran et al., 2015). Yet, little is known about the etiology of this spectrum. As of now, ASD is diagnosed based on a series of behavioral tests. The challenge for researchers is to try to uncover the biological basis for these typical behaviors in order to improve diagnosis and identify potential targets for treatment. A multidisciplinary approach to understanding the biological basis for the behavioral symptoms is necessary in order to move forward. This includes analysis of the current animal models for ASD and their suitability, reviewing behavioral, immunological, immunogenetic, and epigenetic research, reassessing clinical diagnostic tools, and surveying radiological, pathological, and serological records for clues. With over 500 animal models available with varying construct validity and face validity, and a variety of behavioral tests for animals (Kazdoba et al., 2016; three chamber, T maze, elevated plus maze) and for humans (ADOS, ADIR, CARS, ABC) and still no FDA approved effective treatments for the core symptoms of autism, much more needs to be done to understand the behavioral features of autism and their underlying etiology.”

This journal collection of 13 scholarly articles taken from Frontiers in Neuroscience and Frontiers in Pediatrics attempts to give the reader an overview of the latest works in the field. 

“Though there is still much work to do in uncovering the biological basis for ASD, patterns are beginning to emerge. The combination of serological data with genetic data enables researchers to isolate pathways that demonstrate particular association with ASD. The precise mechanisms between these networks and the behavioral symptoms have yet to be fully elucidated. However, larger studies with more unified diagnostic inclusion criteria and multidisciplinary testing will hopefully yield further hints toward identifying the underlying mechanism of ASD.”

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