Rescuing prefrontal cortical excitation-inhibition imbalance with early-life microglial ablation ameliorates ASD-like behaviors in BTBR mice

This study investigates the therapeutic potential of PLX3397, a CSF1R inhibitor, for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Through early postnatal (P2-P14) administration in the BTBR mouse model, followed by transcriptomic analysis of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) at P14, we demonstrate that PLX3397 treatment improves core social deficits and reduces repetitive behaviors. Our work highlights microglia as a pharmacological target , underscoring the role of excitatory synaptic imbalance in ASD pathophysiology.