Proteins Commonly Linked to Autism Spectrum Disorder and Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

Several years after the first publication of Barker's Hypothesis the identification of common patterns and pathways between genetic and epigenetic risk factors in neurodegenerative disorders is still an open problem. For the cases of Alzheimer's disease and Autism and by taking into consideration the increasing number of diagnosed cases globally, scientists focused on commonly expressed and related proteins like Amyloid beta and the mechanisms of their underlying dysfunctionalities. In this review paper, an attempt to specify significant correlations between proteins linked to Autism Spectrum Disorders and Alzheimer's Disease is presented. Both diseases are highlighted with an emphasis on the macromolecules that play a fundamental role in their development. These proteins are described and analyzed concerning the underlying pathology of these diseases.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Autism spectrum disorder; developmental origins of health and diseases; neurological symptoms; proteins..