ArticleCellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS2021
Zinc is a key regulator of gastrointestinal development, microbiota composition and inflammation with relevance for autism spectrum disorders.
Article in Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Metal Dyshomeostasis as a Driver of Gut Pathology in Autism Spectrum Disorders.Journal of neurochemistry · 2025Pooled it
- Zinc homeostasis imbalance: Potential therapeutic value in neurodegenerative diseases.Neural regeneration research · 2026Article
- Exploring exosome-related genes as candidate biomarkers in primary immune thrombocytopenia through transcriptomics and preliminary experimental validation.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Intersection of Precision Nutrition and Bladder Cancer: A Narrative State-of-the-Art Review of Potential Applications and Challenges.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Multi-omics insights into dietary zinc-mediated reprogramming of the gut-nasal ecosystem in allergic rhinitis.Frontiers in allergy · 2026Article
- A zinc-free alternative ribosomal protein RpsN.2 confers survival advantage to group A streptococcus during Zn scarcity.Infection and immunity · 2025Article
- The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Autism: Associations, Causal Inference, and Interventions-A Narrative Review.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Zinc in eye health, retinal biology and disease.Progress in retinal and eye research · 2025Review
- The Use of Organoid Cultures in Advancing Nutrition Research.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2025Review
- Trace Element Exposure during Pregnancy Has a Persistent Influence on Perinatal Gut Microbiota in Mother-Infant Dyads.Environmental science & technology · 2025Article
- Zinc signaling controls astrocyte-dependent synapse modulation via the PAF receptor pathway.Journal of neurochemistry · 2025Article
- Intestinal Barrier Impairment Induced by Gut Microbiome and Its Metabolites in School-Age Children with Zinc Deficiency.Nutrients · 2024Article
- Zinc Water Prevents Autism-Like Behaviors in the BTBR Mice.Biological trace element research · 2023Article
- Zinc Homeostasis: An Emerging Therapeutic Target for Neuroinflammation Related Diseases.Biomolecules · 2023Review
- The Rationale for Vitamin, Mineral, and Cofactor Treatment in the Precision Medical Care of Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of personalized medicine · 2023Review
- Multifunctional role of zinc in human health: an update.EXCLI journal · 2023Review
- Alteration in Gut Microbiota Associated with Zinc Deficiency in School-Age Children.Nutrients · 2022Article
- Prenatal Zinc Deficient Mice as a Model for Autism Spectrum Disorders.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) problems and microbiota alterations have been frequently reported in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In addition, abnormal perinatal trace metal levels have been found in ASD. Accordingly, mice exposed to prenatal zinc deficiency display features of ASD-like behavior. Here, we model GI development using 3D intestinal organoids grown under zinc-restricted conditions. We found significant morphological alterations. Using proteomic approaches, we identified biological processes affected by zinc deficiency that regulate barrier permeability and pro-inflammatory pathways. We confirmed our results in vivo through proteomics studies and investigating GI development in zinc-deficient mice. These show altered GI physiology and pro-inflammatory signaling, resulting in chronic systemic and neuroinflammation, and gut microbiota composition similar to that reported in human ASD cases. Thus, low zinc status during development is sufficient to compromise intestinal barrier integrity and activate pro-inflammatory signaling, resulting in changes in microbiota composition that may aggravate inflammation, altogether mimicking the co-morbidities frequently observed in ASD.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.