Analysis of Valproic Acid-Induced Gene Expression Changes in Human Neuron Cells

Over the past two decades, the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has become a very crucial issue.Therefore, understanding the causes and risk factors of ASD is important, and many researchers have focused on analyzing its factors.Valproic Acid (VPA), a drug used for treating neural and psychiatric disorders, has been implicated in increasing ASD risk when exposure occurs in utero.Even though there is evidence linking VPA to ASD-like behaviors in animal models, the biological mechanisms remain still unclear.This study aims to elucidate these mechanisms by analyzing gene expression changes in human neuron cells treated with VPA.We performed cell viability assays to determine the cytotoxic concentration of VPA.Also, we conducted RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to analyze the gene expression of non-treated control and VPA-treated cells.Our experimental results reveal that VPA induces significant changes in gene expression levels in human brain cells.The experimental result provides a new insight into how VPA exposure contributes to ASD phenotypes.By identifying differentially expressed genes and their associated biological processes and cellular functions, this research enhances our understanding of the molecular impacts of VPA on neuronal development.In conclusion, this research paper focused on potentially guiding future therapeutic strategies for ASD.