The possibility to generate construct valid animal models enabled the development and testing of therapeutic strategies targeting the core features of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). At the same time, these studies highlighted the necessity of identifying sensitive developmental time windows for successful therapeutic interventions. Animal and human studies also uncovered the possibility to stratify the variety of ASDs in molecularly distinct subgroups, potentially facilitating effective treatment design. Here, we focus on the molecular pathways emerging as commonly affected by mutations in diverse ASD-risk genes, on their role during critical windows of brain development and the potential treatments targeting these biological processes.

构建有效动物模型的可能性使针对自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 核心特征的治疗策略的开发和测试成为可能。同时，这些研究强调了为成功的治疗干预确定敏感的发育时间窗的必要性。动物和人类研究还揭示了在分子上不同的亚组中对各种 ASD 进行分层的可能性，这可能有助于有效的治疗设计。在这里，我们关注通常受多种 ASD 风险基因突变影响而出现的分子通路、它们在大脑发育的关键窗口中的作用以及针对这些生物过程的潜在治疗方法。