An international research project analyzing DNA samples from 1,168 families with two or more children with autism has located two possible sites linked to the development of the disorder: a "previously unsuspected" region of chromosome 11 and the deletion of a gene called neurexin 1 involved in neuronal communication.
Yet again, researchers remark that neither gene on its own is a direct cause of autism. Rather, findings further hint that the mechanism behind predisposition and development of autism, once unraveled, isn't going to be so straightforward, suggesting that different genes may be responsible for different symptoms or that different combinations of the genes may affect the severity of symptoms:
"Deficits can be quite varied from child to child, which means that genes in certain pathways might be affected in different ways, " [Andy Shih, chief science officer of Autism Speaks] said. In some cases, the deficits can lead to severe developmental disability. While other children can communicate at a higher level, they often don't socialize easily with others and exhibit learning disabilities.
Read more: Autism Family Scan Identifies New Genetic Targets
ABSTRACT: Mapping autism risk loci using genetic linkage and chromosomal rearrangements
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