Regulatory Immune Mechanisms and Gastrointestinal Co-morbidity in ASD

Nearly half of all children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) also have co morbid gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms that can affect behavior through a brain-immune gut feedback loop. The primary GI condition is due to uncontrolled inflammation. The main objectives of this project are (1) to characterize defects in Tregs function and ability to suppress responses;(2) to identify epigenetic mechanisms that control Tregs lineage commitment;and (3) to determine the stability of Tregs under inflammatory conditions and the Tregs- T helper (TH)17 balance, in children with ASD and GI symptoms. Our main hypothesis is that Tregs dysfunction causes a lack of immune control in children with ASD who experience GI co-morbidities.