The relative usefulness of the identification and analysis of biomarkers for the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders in early childhood and the implementation of personalized precision medicine

Abstract

Despite progress towards understanding the etiological mechanisms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), efficient treatment strategy for the primary clinically presented autistic features remain elusive. Up to the heterogeneity and complex nature of ASD, clinical presentation differ in severity and usually accompanied with multiple comorbidities, including gastrointestinal (GI) problems, sleep disturbances, epilepsy, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Discovery of biomarkers of ASD is essential not only for clarifying the clinical features of this disorder but also as an primary diagnostic implement that could help to tailor early interventions. Therefore, this review describes the core areas of ASD biomarker research, including GABAergic/glutamatergic imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction, hyperserotonemia, and impaired gut microbiota, all of which have demonstrated success in diagnosing ASD and could serve as targets for implementing personalized precision medicine. Additionally, this review includes accomplishment that focus on the importance of precision medicine and the current trials that make use of ASD biomarkers detection.