Neuron-Specific Enolase (NSE) as a Biomarker for Autistic Spectrum Disease (ASD).

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects 1-2% of children globally, presenting complex causes and varied symptoms.
• Current ASD diagnosis relies on clinical evaluation and psychotherapy, lacking specific biomarkers or targeted medications.
• The diverse etiology of ASD hinders the identification of common diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify a potential biomarker for predicting treatment response in children with ASD.
• To investigate the utility of autologous cord blood in treating ASD patients with limited improvement from other therapies.
• To explore the correlation between neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels and treatment outcomes in ASD.

Main Methods:

• The CORDUS clinical study administered autologous cord blood to children diagnosed with ASD.
• Patients included had shown minimal or no improvement with prior treatments.
• Blood samples were analyzed to measure neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels.

Main Results:

• Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels were elevated above the normal range (<16.3 ng/mL) in 97.5% (40 of 41) of ASD children studied.
• This high prevalence suggests NSE as a potential indicator in the ASD population.
• The study explored NSE as a predictive biomarker for treatment response.

Conclusions:

• Elevated NSE levels represent a significant finding in the majority of ASD children assessed.
• NSE may serve as a valuable biomarker for diagnostic confirmation and dynamic evaluation in ASD.
• This discovery offers a new avenue for therapeutic intervention strategies in ASD management.