Title:MicroRNA-Targeted Signaling Pathways in the Autism Spectrum Disorder: Implications for Early Detection and Targeted Therapy
Volume: 20
Issue: 1
Author(s): Rasoul Alizadeh, Zahra Bahmanpoor, Shahabeddin Jalali-Qomi, Mahdi Amiri, Hamed Afkhami, Mansoor Khaledi, Reza Moosavi and Mansoureh Akouchekian*
Affiliation:
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran,Iran
Keywords:
Autism Spectrum Disorder, pathways, miRNA, In silico analysis, genes, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.
Abstract:
Background & Objective: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is known as a neurodevelopmental
disorder showing communication impairments and unusual patterns of behavior. Presently,
it seems that ASD frequency is on the increase. Therefore, diagnostic tools that help detect the
disease in the early stages can be very useful in better management of the disease. Recent studies
demonstrate that miRNAs as novel biomarkers can be used to find out the process and etiology of
ASD by regulating various genes of multiple pathways. However, ASD associated pathway targeted
by miRNA is still in infancy.
Methods: In this in silico study taking into consideration the importance of miRNAs, we reviewed
bioinformatics databases for finding possible pathways and potential miRNAs related to selected
pathways.
Results: The results displayed some prominent pathways involved in ASD, as well as some experimental
and predicted miRNAs that may regulate targets associated with these pathways such as
neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, serotonergic synapse, calcium signaling pathway, cAMP
Signaling Pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.
Conclusion: This study showed that the identified miRNAs may be involved in ASD-related pathways
and may be considered as a new diagnostic tool and provide potential targets for the treatment
of ASD.