The Role of Insulin-like Growth Factor on Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by behavioral disorders including deficits in social conversations and interactions, disability in speech, and having difficulties in adapting. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulinlike growth factor 2 (IGF-2) are neurotrophic polypeptides, which play a significant role in survival, maturation, and developmental processes of the central nervous system (CNS), and they are believed to have potentially effective therapeutics for the treatment of autism and related disorders which are Rett Syndrome, Fragile X syndrome and Phelan-Mcdermid Syndrome, whose therapeutic effects on ASD patients were analyzed, investigated in many preclinical, finished clinical and ongoing clinical studies. Recent approaches have been focused on underlying mechanisms of ASD and attempted to increase understanding and evidence for the pathogenesis of ASD. Based on animal models and clinical studies, IGF-1 administration contributes to improvements in core behaviors of ASD and restoring abnormalities. This review aimed to provide ASD with the potential role of IGFs in the treatment of ASD and place emphasis on the promising roles of IGFs.

Cite this article as: Dönmez B, Erbakan K, Erbaş O. The Role of Insulin-like Growth Factor on Autism Spectrum Disorder. JEB Med Sci 2021;2(3):430-435.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.