Mitochondrial Dysfunction and mTOR in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental diseases that manifest themselves at early ages as insufficient social and communicative skills, repetitive sensory-motor behaviors and restricted interests, and peculiar combinations of these traits. Autism prevalence in wealthy nations is currently rising. Due to increasing numbers of diagnosis, studies on the genetic background of autism have gained momentum recently. Especially the research on mitochondrial dysfunction and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is important in that it might provide a great contribution to the ASD field for new treatment resources.