Autism's cancer connection: The anti-proliferation hypothesis and why it may matter

This unifying hypothesis for how structurally different drugs elevate autism risk could help focus research on other drugs, or other xenobiotics, that may elevate autism risk. For example, there is evidence that an old class of drugs, the phenothiazines, is antiproliferative in cancer cell lines via inhibition of calmodulin and/or histaminic pathways. Promethazine, one of the first heterocyclic phenothiazines synthesized, is commonly prescribed during pregnancy; however, its role in elevating the risk of autism has not been investigated. Based on the anti-proliferation hypothesis, more studies of promethazine and other similar drugs are suggested to evaluate their potential to elevate autism risk following prenatal exposures.