The Mechanism and Treatment Methods of Glutathione Levels in Reducing Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition associated with oxidative stress and problems in the antioxidant system, so the aim of this study was to figure out how glutathione (GSH) could lessen ASD symptoms and evaluate treatment methods related to GSH, thus an integrative review of 11 peer - reviewed studies was carried out to combine mechanistic understandings and therapeutic proof, and central mechanisms included the antioxidant and neuroprotective characteristics of GSH, its regulation of neurotransmitters like glutamate, and its part in gene - environment interactions influencing ASD vulnerability, while examined interventions covered N - acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementation and new biotherapies, and clinical results showed slight improvements in social behavior and reductions in repetitive behaviors, and it was found that GSH levels were considerably lower in people with ASD, which corresponded with higher oxidative stress biomarkers and neuroinflammation, additionally GSH was proven to reduce excitotoxicity, boost synaptic plasticity, and control epigenetic pathways involved in neurodevelopment, however despite these encouraging outcomes, differences in treatment reactions and inadequate long - term safety information remained major drawbacks, in short, GSH turned out to be a possible therapeutic target for ASD and antioxidant - based interventions might enhance traditional treatments, but establishing standardized dosing rules and conducting large - scale randomized controlled trials were crucial to confirm their effectiveness and safety for clinical use.