Study Finds Genetic Link to Autism

Autism occurs in 1 out of 175 children in the United States. 743 families were involved in a study in which 1,200 family members had some form of autism. Researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee have found a definitive connection between genetics and autism.

Autism is a severe developmental disorder that affects approximately one in 150 children. Its cause has long been theorized that many genes may combine to cause susceptibility to autism. Vanderbilt University's Autism Genome Project (AGP) has found a great amount of evidence toward this.

The Autism Genome Project is comprised of Vanderbilt researchers James Sutcliffe, Ph.D., and Jonathan Haines Ph.D., teamed with more than 120 scientists from more than 50 institutions representing 19 countries. This consortium used state of the art "gene chip" technology to look for genetic commonality in autistic individuals collected from almost 1,200 families.

The research implicates a previously unidentified chromosome 11 and neurexin 1, a member of a family of genes in the genome. The neurexin discovery highlights a special group of neurons and the genes that affect their development and function, which suggests they play a critical role in autism spectrum disorders. This is a very important step toward understanding how genetics are involved in autism.

In the second phase of their research, they will apply "gene chip" technologies to scan the genome association with new genetic markers. Their findings will guide DNA sequencing experiments designed to pinpoint underlying changes in DNA sequences in autism susceptibility genes. The findings of the AGP will ultimately allow researchers to confirm the role of these genes in autism spectrum disorders.

As the identification of genetic susceptibility factors in autism progresses, it will open new opportunities to develop and apply interventions, to understand the underlying biology, and to analyze the possibilities of future treatment.