The role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy of autism spectrum disorder: Focus on α7 nicotinic receptors

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology

Publication Date

9-1-2024

Abstract

Postmortem studies have revealed that brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit abnormalities in various components of the cholinergic system including cholinergic receptors, projections, and nuclei. Deletions in the 15q13.3 region which encompasses CHRNA7, the gene that encodes the α7-nACh receptor, have been linked to various neurodevelopmental disorders, including ASD. In addition, the involvement of α7-nACh receptors in biological phenomena known to play a role in the pathophysiology of ASD such as cognitive functions, learning, memory, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress, as well as the excitation-inhibition balance in neuronal circuits and maternal immune activation have been reported in previous studies. Furthermore, evolving preclinical and clinical literature supports the potential therapeutic benefits of using selectively acting cholinergic compounds, particularly those targeting the α7-nACh receptor subtype, in the treatment of ASD. This study reviews the previous literature on the involvement of nACh receptors in the pathophysiology of ASD and focuses on the α7-nACh receptor as a potential therapeutic target.

ISSN

1357-2725

Publisher

Elsevier BV

Volume

174

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Keywords

Acetylcholine, Autism spectrum disorder, Nicotinic receptor

Scopus ID

85200124406

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

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