Gut Dysbiosis and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder
*Back in March, Dr. Sri Ganeshan, MD, the Chief Medical Officer of ReligenDX Inc., spoke at our workshop, "Gut Dysbiosis and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder". Dr. Ganeshan and his colleagues are involved in understanding the role of mitochondria and microbiome in human disease. He presented on the microorganisms living in the gut (gastrointestinal system) and how they play a critical role in our day to day function when they are balanced (balance of good microbe’s vs the bad). If this balance is altered in the gut (dysbiosis) this can affect many other parts of the body through the chemicals, hormones, and other mechanisms. The gut communicates with the brain through pathways including the nerves, hormones, altering the immune system etc.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term that describes a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders that share a common set of behavioral and cognitive impairments. The wide variety of clinical symptoms in ASD can be associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. It is most common metabolic defect in patients with Autism.
Mitochondria are the “power plants” of the body. They are present in every cell in the body except the red blood cells. In addition to producing energy for our bodily function they have many other critical functions for optimal health. Mitochondria produce energy by taking the food we eat and combining it with the oxygen we inhale to produce energy. The brain has the highest mitochondrial energy demand of any organ. Therefore, subtle changes in mitochondrial energy production will affect the brain adversely.