Intracellular Pathways Associated with the Etiology of Autism

Abstract

This chapter explores the relationship between the genes and proteins of the Akt and MAPK pathways and autism. This chapter presents the biology of these two pathways, their genes and cascading proteins, and then, it looks at the research that has connected these molecules to autism. Finally, it imparts current and future therapeutic modalities that might exploit abnormalities in these genes and proteins, change them and ultimately alter aberrant autistic behaviors.