Peer-Reviewed Publications
Our Autism Journey
June 2017
June 2017
Fetal and postnatal metal dysregulation in autism – PubMed (nih.gov)
- This is the first study to show that dysregulations that underlie autism exist prenatally.
- In a group of twins, we used the baby tooth biomarkers and showed the elements in the growth rings formed prenatally were different in those children who would later develop autism.
- We even found differences in identical twins, proving that autism is not only a genetic disorder and an exposomic approach is needed.
June 2017
May 2018
May 2018
- This builds on the first autism study and also utilizes baby teeth. We conducted a multi-national study in US (two centers – NY and Texas), Sweden and UK.
- Building on our prior work, we focused on exploring the impact of metabolic dynamics in essential elements, particularly zinc and copper. Using these signatures, we were able to develop a classification algorithm (a proof of concept towards a diagnostic device) that was 90% accurate in predicting autism status. See Figure 3 in the publication.
May 2018
Sept 2019
Sept 2019
- In this study, we take the autism work further and show that we can distinguish autism from ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder).
- Separating these two conditions is important because they appear similar, but the underlying pathology is different.
- See Figure 3 in the publication for a description of how we separate cases of (i) autism, (ii) ADHD, (iii) ADHD+ autism and (iv) neurotypical children.
Sept 2019
Dec 2022
Dec 2022
- Based on three previous studies on teeth that showed that there is a clear molecular signal for autism present at birth, we developed a new hair biomarker.
- The hair biomarker is also accurate and works in the same manner as the tooth biomarker but has the advantage that it can be collected at any time/age.
- This biomarker was validated In 3 countries – national study In Japan, national twin study in Sweden, and clinical study in NYC, USA.
- The youngest patients were one month of age, the oldest 21 years
- Based on this data, the FDA granted Breakthrough Designation to StrandDx™ASD, the only diagnostic test for detection of autism in infants shortly after birth.
- This study has been selected for NIEHS ‘papers of the month’, highlighting its significant contributions to the field.
Dec 2022
Jan 2023
Jan 2023
- In this study, we compare StrandDx™ASD to fMRI measures in children with and without a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
- Our main finding is that we can identify changes in brain function based on the biochemical signatures in hair. This provides evidence that our hair biomarkers are correlated to quantitative measures of brain functional dynamics in autism.
Jan 2023
