Stem cells and modeling of autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

Human neurons, generated from reprogrammed somatic cells isolated from live patients, bring a new perspective on the understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The new technology can nicely complement other models for basic research and the development of therapeutic compounds aiming to revert or ameliorate the condition. Here, we discuss recent advances on the use of stem cells and other models to study ASDs, as well as their limitations, implications and future perspectives.

Keywords: Angelman syndrome; Animal model; Autism spectrum disorders; Fragile X syndrome; Genomic editing; Induced pluripotent stem cells; Rett syndrome; Stem cells; Timothy syndrome.