The developing ncRNA world for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most heritable heterogeneous psychiatric disorders with strong genetic component, but there is no single gene variant accounting for >1% of ASD cases. ASD is characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, and presence of restricted interests and/or repetitive patterns of behaviors. It is becoming increasingly evident that the noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are keys to gene regulation. However, limited ASD research has focused on the ncRNAs. Here, we review recent studies, providing genetic and molecular contributions of ncRNA (most miRNA, snoRNA and lncRNA) to ASD, with emphasis on miRNA. We also discuss the potential of miRNAs as both biomarkers and therapeutic tools in ASD.