Work

The metabolic role of vitamin D in children’s neurodevelopment: a network study

Year: 2024

Type: article

Study design: Observational Study

Abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with various proposed environmental risk factors and a rapidly increasing prevalence. Mounting evidence suggests a potential role of vitamin D deficiency in ASD pathogenesis, though the causal mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we investigate the impact of vitamin D on child neurodevelopment through an integrative network approach that combines metabolomic profiles, clinical traits, and neurodevelopmental data from a pediatric cohort. Our results show that vitamin D deficiency is associated with changes in the metabolic networks of tryptophan, linoleic, and fatty acid metabolism. These changes correlate with distinct ASD-related phenotypes, including delayed communication skills and respiratory dysfunctions. Additionally, our analysis suggests the kynurenine and serotonin sub-pathways may mediate the effect of vitamin D on early childhood communication development. Altogether, our findings provide metabolome-wide insights into the potential of vitamin D as a therapeutic option for ASD and other communication disorders.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67835-8

Authors: Margherita De Marzio, Jessica Lasky-Su, Su H. Chu, Nicole Prince, Augusto A. Litonjua, Scott T. Weiss, Rachel S. Kelly, Kimberly R. Glass

Institutions: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, University of Rochester Medicine, Golisano Children's Hospital, University of Rochester

Language: English

Topic: Vitamin D Research Studies

Subfield: Pathology and Forensic Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,590

Funders: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Awards: Multi-omic approaches to mechanisms of vitamin D, environmental influences, and the microbiome on asthma, Mechanistic insights into asthma pathogenesis through the integration of asthma genes, risk exposures, and metabolomics, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL: VDAART CONTINUATION STUDY - DCC - LEAD, G2068255270, Integrative Metabolomics of Asthma Severity, G3109470383, G3672886656, G4979691272, Integrative metabolomic characterization of ADHD and asthma comorbidity, G5952058688, Multi-Omic Endotyping of Asthma, G6443191731, G6852944973, G692714771, G894575533, G8981114461, Leveraging Variant-perturbed Gene Regulation to Support Precision Medicine in COPD, Mechanogenomics of the asthmatic airway epithelium, Environmental Agents as Modulators of Disease Processes

OpenAlex ID: W4400966515

FWCI: 4.228

Cites: 158

Cited by: 14

Related to: 10