Biomarker Exploration in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells for Monitoring Sulforaphane Treatment Responses in...

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Biochemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) lacks treatments for core symptoms and validated biomarkers.
• Sulforaphane, a phytochemical, influences biochemical abnormalities linked to ASD.
• Investigating sulforaphane's effects on ASD-related pathways is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and validate molecular markers for sulforaphane's effects in ASD.
• To assess sulforaphane's impact on redox, heat shock, and immune pathways in ASD.
• To explore potential biomarkers for monitoring sulforaphane's pharmacodynamic response.

Main Methods:

• Real-time quantitative PCR used to analyze mRNA levels in PBMCs.
• Ex vivo sulforaphane treatment on PBMCs from healthy donors.
• Comparison of marker expression in ASD patients receiving oral sulforaphane.

Main Results:

• Selected molecular markers were quantifiable, accurate, and reproducible.
• Sulforaphane increased cytoprotective enzymes (NQO1, HO-1, AKR1C1) and heat shock proteins (HSP27, HSP70) mRNA levels.
• Sulforaphane decreased pro-inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-1β, COX-2, TNF-α) mRNA levels.

Conclusions:

• Biomarker panels show potential for monitoring sulforaphane's pharmacodynamic response in ASD.
• These biomarkers could guide biomedical interventions for ASD.
• Further research is needed to establish specificity and sensitivity for clinical use.