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Review
. 2023 Feb 9:16:1128974.
doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1128974. eCollection 2023.

Targeting Shank3 deficiency and paresthesia in autism spectrum disorder: A brief review

Min Huang  1   2 , Qi Qi  1   2 , Tao Xu  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Targeting Shank3 deficiency and paresthesia in autism spectrum disorder: A brief review

Min Huang et al. Front Mol Neurosci. .

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes a group of multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired social communication, social interaction, and repetitive behaviors. Several studies have shown an association between cases of ASD and mutations in the genes of SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domain protein 3 (SHANK3). These genes encode many cell adhesion molecules, scaffold proteins, and proteins involved in synaptic transcription, protein synthesis, and degradation. They have a profound impact on all aspects of synaptic transmission and plasticity, including synapse formation and degeneration, suggesting that the pathogenesis of ASD may be partially attributable to synaptic dysfunction. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of synapses related to Shank3 in ASD. We also discuss the molecular, cellular, and functional studies of experimental models of ASD and current autism treatment methods targeting related proteins.

Keywords: ASD; Shank3; autism spectrum disorder; synapse; treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer ZQ declared a shared parent affiliation with the authors to the handling editor at the time of review.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic diagram of postsynaptic density and construction of Shank3. PSD-95, Postsynaptic density-95; SH3, Src homology 3; PDZ, PSD95/DlgA/Zo-1; SAM, Sterile alpha motif; mGluR5, metabotropic glutamate receptor 5; AMPAR, The α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor; NMDAR, The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor; GKAP, guanylate kinase-associated protein.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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