Title:Regulation of Protein Synthesis: An Approach to Treat Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Volume: 28
Issue: 34
Author(s): Jéssika Poliana Teixeira and Teodorico Castro Ramalho *
Affiliation:
- Chemistry Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras,Brazil
Keywords:
Neurodevelopment, translation, mTOR, eIF4E-eIF4G, mGluR, GRK5.
Abstract: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a disorder with different etiologies and poor
elucidation, characterized by changes in social and cognitive skills. ASD impacts a large
number of people in the world. Surprisingly, in spite of its great importance, just modest progress
has been achieved towards comprehending this pathology and designing new therapies.
The molecular dysfunctions observed in people with autism are evidenced by the interference
in the synthesis of synaptic proteins, which impairs their development and plasticity, leading
to characteristics of individuals with ASD. The present work investigates the mTOR pathway
and the proteins related to its regulation and neurological functioning. The path of protein
synthesis and translation is promising to treat various disorders and its elucidation may, for
example, result in drugs that facilitate the diagnosis and broaden the range of treatments, improving
the quality of life of ASD patients.
