Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects approximately 1 % of the human population and is
characterized by a core symptomatology including deficits in social interaction and repetitive
patterns of behaviour plus various co-morbidities. Although a lot of progress has been made to
uncover underlying causes and mechanisms throughout the last decade we are still at the very
beginning to understand this enormously complex neurodevelopmental condition. This special
volume is focused on translational anatomy and cell biology of ASD. International experts from
the field including several members of the EU-AIMS initiative launched by the European Union to
develop novel treatments for ASD have contributed chapters on several topics covering all
crucial aspects of translational ASD research with a special emphasis on ASD model systems
including stem cells and animals. Primary objective is to clarify how anatomical and cell
biological phenotypes of ASD will help to translate basic mechanisms to clinical practice and
to efficiently treat affected individuals in the near future.
