A multifaceted approach for analyzing complex phenotypic data in rodent models of autism.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Preclinical animal model database and systematic review (Oxford CEBM Level 5).
PubMed 30911366 · doi:10.1186/s13229-019-0263-7
What was done
The authors developed a bioinformatics resource using a shared annotation platform to analyze phenotypic data from genetic and induced rodent models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Based on this resource, they systematically mapped research trends, evaluated the top 30 most studied phenotypes across 787 publications, characterized environmental inducer and rescue models, and analyzed a collection of Shank3 mouse models as a case study.
What was found
Across 787 publications, the top 30 most frequently studied phenotypes mapped to core ASD features (social impairments and repetitive behaviors) and comorbid features (anxiety, seizures, and motor deficits). Gestational valproic acid and maternal immune activation (LPS, poly I:C) were the most studied environmental inducers. Twenty-four pharmaceutical agents were identified across rescue models targeting various ASD genes and CNV loci. The abstract reports no quantitative summary effect estimates.
Why it matters
This resource provides a standardized comparative platform for researchers to evaluate phenotypic overlap, environmental factors, and therapeutic rescue across diverse preclinical rodent models of autism.
Limits
The analysis is restricted entirely to preclinical rodent studies, which have inherent translational limitations for human ASD. Quantitative effect sizes, search parameters, and quality assessments of the included literature are not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Autism-like phenotypes are modeled in mice by inducing maternal immune activation through bacterial or immune challenge during pregnancy.