Scientists Discover a New Autism Gene. What Will This Mean for Families?

Autism has long baffled scientists, doctors and family members. There is so very little information about the disorder and the actual cause of it. But now, there appears to be more information available, as science tries to discover more about this disorder.

Scientists have discovered new Autism genes during a study involving 1,200 families, with the help of 120 scientists from more than 50 institutes and across 19 countries. The findings, which are described in Nature Genetics, focuses in on chromosome 11 and a more specific gene, called neurexin 1. Experts have said that the discovery and isolation of neurexin 1, should help with finding new treatments for Autism in the future.

Autism is a complex disorder of the brain that inhibits an individual's ability to communicate effectively with others around them. The development of social relationships is also inhibited. Autism is often accompanied by varying degrees of challenging behaviour. Scientists have suspected that errors in a person's genetic blueprint had a role to play in Autism, but they did not have enough evidence to substantiate this theory. DNA is packaged in cells in the form of chromosomes, which in turn, are made up of strings of genes. Scientists have recently been able to locate chromosome 11p and a gene called neurexin 1.

Neurexin is a gene that helps nerve cells communicate and scientists have concluded that this can play a key role in Autistic Spectrum Disorder. The work began in 2002. Scientists combined their research resources and knowledge, forming the Autism Genome Project. They went on to use "gene chip" technology to look for genetic similarities between Autistic people. It was funded by the non-profit organization Autism Speaks and the US National Institutes of Health.

Professor Jonathon Gree, a child psychiatrist, who led the clinical fieldwork in Manchester, UK, stated: "Autism is a very difficult condition for families - communication is taken for granted by parents of healthy children but is so greatly missed by those with Autistic children. We hope that these exciting results may represent a step on the way to further new treatments in the future".

Professor John Burn, of the Institute of Human Genetics at Newcastle University, UK, hailed the findings and news as "fantastic". However, he went on to caution: "There will almost certainly be an interaction between several genes so this one discovery doesn't provide a complete answer and may not lead straight to a genetic test, but it could be a key step in development for effective treatments, as it provides a target for drug development".

In addition, Dr Fred Kavalier of the British Society for Human Genetics said that a cure for Autism was still a long way off. This is just one small discovery. Much more research needs to be conducted. The next stage of the research will take place over a three year period and will concentrate on suspect areas of DNA.

Estimates suggest that Autistic Spectrum Disorders affect approximately one out of every 100 British children. In the United States, the figure is estimated at one out of every 150 children. It is more widespread than previously thought, as more and more children are being diagnosed with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. We do not know whether science will ever find a cure for Autism. For families who have an Autistic child, they can only look ahead and hope for a brighter future.

Sources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6369347.stm

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070209/ap_on_he_me/autism_prevalence