ReviewInternational journal of molecular sciences2025
Review of Elevated Para-Cresol in Autism and Possible Impact on Symptoms.
Review in International journal of molecular sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.
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
19 citing papers in PubMed.
- Translational Study of Using FOCM/TS Metabolites for Supporting Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis.Annals of biomedical engineering · 2026Article
- Elevated microbially-derived metabolites in autism: a possible diagnostic screening test for a distinct ASD phenotype.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Article
- Review
- Gut microbiota in health and disease.Molecular biomedicine · 2026Review
- Selected Proteins Involved in the Neuropathology of ASD as the Candidates for Fluid Biomarkers.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Unveiling the Molecular Mechanism of Intestinal Metabolite para-Cresol in Modulating Neuroinflammation and Synaptic Dysfunction: Implications for Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of neurochemistry · 2026Article
- [Breath metabolomic characteristics of schizophrenia and their potential for auxiliary diagnosis].Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2026Article
- Association of Clinical Severity in Autism Spectrum Disorder with Biomolecules Involved in Lipid Metabolism, Inflammation and miRNAs.Biomolecules · 2026Article
- Comprehensive first-trimester targeted metabolomics for early prediction and understanding of GDM pathophysiology.Frontiers in molecular biosciences · 2026Article
- A sulfotransferase from a gut microbe acts on diverse phenolic sulfate compounds, including acetaminophen sulfate.PNAS nexus · 2026Article
- The autism-linked gut microbial metabolite p-cresol inhibits host catecholamine biosynthesizing enzymes to elicit social deficits.Communications biology · 2025Article
- Microbial Feast or Famine: dietary carbohydrate composition and gut microbiota metabolic function.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Review
- Elevated Microbially-Derived Metabolites in Autism: A Possible Diagnostic Screening Test for a Distinct ASD Phenotype.Research square · 2025Article
- Impact of maternal microbiota imbalance during pregnancy on fetal cerebral neurodevelopment: Is there a link to certain autistic disorders?Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2025Review
- Neuronutrition and Nrf2 Brain Resilience Signaling: Epigenomics and Metabolomics for Personalized Medicine in Nervous System Disorders from Bench to Clinic.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Microbiota Gut-Brain Axis and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Perspectives.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Pharmacological modulation of the gut-brain axis: psychobiotics in focus for depression therapy.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Review
- UnravelingFrontiers in pharmacology · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Para-cresol (p-cresol), and its primary human metabolite p-cresol sulfate (pCS), are among the most studied gut-derived metabolites relevant to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). P-cresol is produced by bacterial modification of phenylalanine or tyrosine and is one of many potentially deleterious metabolites produced by the gut microbiota. Seventeen studies have observed p-cresol and/or p-cresol sulfate as being higher in the urine of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) vs. controls. P-cresol has harmful effects on the body, including within the gut, brain, kidneys, liver, immune system, and mitochondria. Some of these effects may contribute to autism and comorbid symptoms. In the gut, p-cresol acts as an antibiotic, altering the gut microbiome to favor the bacteria that produce it. In the mitochondria, p-cresol disrupts ATP production and increases oxidative stress, which is also common in autism. In the brain, p-cresol impairs neuronal development. P-cresol inactivates dopamine beta-hydroxylase, which converts dopamine to noradrenaline. P-cresol sulfate impairs kidney function and is linked to chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is more common in ASD adults. P-cresol also interferes with immune function. Three animal studies have demonstrated that p-cresol causes autism-related symptoms in mice, and that mice can be recovered by the administration of fecal microbiota transplant from healthy mice. Similarly, it was found that microbiota transplant therapy treatment in children with ASD significantly reduced p-cresol sulfate levels to normal and led to significant improvements in gastrointestinal (GI) and ASD symptoms. In summary, p-cresol and pCS likely contribute to ASD core symptoms in a substantial subset of children with 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.