The progress of chemokines and chemokine receptors in autism spectrum disorders

Brain Res Bull. 2021 Sep:174:268-280. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.05.024. Epub 2021 May 30.

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders and the main symptoms of ASD are impairments in social communication and abnormal behavioral patterns. Studies have shown that immune dysfunction and neuroinflammation play a key role in ASD patients and experimental models. Chemokines are groups of small proteins that regulate cell migration and mediate inflammation responses via binding to chemokine receptors. Thus, chemokines/chemokine receptors may be involved in neurodevelopmental disorders and associated with ASD. In this review, we summarize the research progress of chemokine aberrations in ASD and also review the recent progress of clinical treatment of ASD and pharmacological research related to chemokines/chemokine receptors. This review highlights the possible connection between chemokines/chemokine receptors and ASD, and provides novel potential targets for drug discovery of ASD.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorders; COVID-19; Chemokine receptors; Chemokines.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / drug therapy
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / metabolism*
  • Chemokines / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Chemokines / metabolism*
  • Drug Discovery / methods
  • Drug Discovery / trends*
  • Humans
  • Protein Binding / physiology
  • Receptors, Chemokine / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptors, Chemokine / metabolism*

Substances

  • Chemokines
  • Receptors, Chemokine