Researchers Find 102 Genes Linked to Autism in One of the Largest Studies of its Kind to Date

Autism spectrum disorder is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that is likely caused by both genetic and environmental factors. As the name suggests, it also represents a range of symptoms and behaviors, all of which makes teasing apart the genes involved quite challenging. In a study published Jan. 23 in Cell, researchers led by Joseph Buxbaum, director of the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, took advantage of better genetic sequencing technologies and one of the largest databases of DNA samples from people with autism to identify 102 genes associated with autism, including 30 that had never before been connected with the condition. The study also distinguished the genes more closely associated with autism from those that might also contribute to other neurodevelopmental disorders including intellectual and motor disabilities. “This is one of the most important, comprehensive studies on the genetics of autism to date,” says Dr. Geraldine Dawson, director of the Center for Autism and Brain Development at Duke University, who was not involved in the study. “The findings start to put into place a lot of pieces of the autism puzzle.” The team analyzed more than 35,000 samples, including nearly 12,000 from people with autism that were collected by the Autism Sequencing Consortium, an international consortium of scientists co-founded by Buxbaum that has shared samples and data since 2010. By comparing genetic sequences fr...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Autism Brain Genetics Source Type: news