Konstantin Yenkoyan: YSMU Team Uncovers Stage-Dependent Vulnerability in Developing Brain
Konstantin Yenkoyan, Vice-Rector for Science of YSMU, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“New Publication Alert | Autism Research
Thrilled to share our new ‘home-made’ publication entitled
‘Stage-Dependent Disruptions in Neurogenesis and Neurotrophins’ Production Following Prenatal and Postnatal Valproic Acid Exposure: Implications for Autism Spectrum Disorders,’ published with Springer Nature in the prestigious @Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology journal (IF = 4.8, Q1).
Study Focus:
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by altered neuronal connectivity, synaptogenesis, and migration. Using our established prenatal and postnatal valproic acid (VPA) models, we examined how exposure timing affects neurogenesis and neurotrophin production in key brain regions — the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, subventricular zone, and olfactory bulb.
Key Findings:
- Both prenatal and postnatal VPA exposures disrupted neurogenesis, with prenatal exposure causing more severe and persistent changes.
- Prenatal VPA significantly reduced BDNF and Doublecortin (DCX) levels, indicating impaired neuronal migration and organization in the developing brain.
- Postnatal exposure led to transient but abnormal IGF-β and BDNF responses.
- Altered GFAP, NeuN, and synaptophysin expression revealed region-specific neuroglial imbalances.
These findings highlight that the developing brain is highly stage-dependent in its vulnerability to environmental and pharmacological insults — underscoring the importance of minimizing such exposures during late gestation and early postnatal periods.
Graphical Abstract:
Dynamic and comparative assessment of neurotrophins, neuroglial and synaptic markers, and morphological changes across prenatal and postnatal ASD models.
Conducted at the COBRAIN Center, Yerevan State Medical University named after Mkhitar Heratsi, this study reflects the persistent and dedicated work of PhD student Katarine Fereshetyan, with contributions from co-author Margarita Danielyan, as well as Dr. Souren Mkrtchian (Karolinska Institutet) for fruitful discussions and critical reading of the manuscript, Hasmik Harutyunyan (YSMU COBRAIN Center) for assistance with graphical illustrations, and Vergine Chavushyan for her continuous support.
Read the full article here.
This work was supported by the Higher Education and Science Committee of Armenia (23LCG-3A020 and 25YSMU-CON-I-3A), and YSMU.”
Title: Stage-Dependent Disruptions in Neurogenesis and Neurotrophins’ Production Following Prenatal and Postnatal Valproic Acid Exposure: Implications for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Katarine Fereshetyan, Margarita Danielyan and Konstantin Yenkoyan
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