- Tea and Coffee May Help Protect You From Some Cancers
- Too Much Acetaminophen Could Harm Seniors’ Health
- Last Year’s Platinum-Based Drugs Shortage Didn’t Raise Cancer Deaths, Study Found
- Autism Tops List of Worldwide Youth Health Issues
- Dancing Helps People With Parkinson’s In More Ways Than One
- Flu Cases Start to Surge as Americans Prepare for Holiday Gatherings
- GLP-1 Zepbound Is Approved As First Drug For Sleep Apnea
- Feeling Appreciated by Partner is Critical for Caregiver’s Mental Health
- Chatbot “Brains” May Slow with Age
- More of America’s Pets Are Overdosing on Stray Coke, Meth
Major Gene Study Spots DNA Tied to Autism, Other Disorders
More than 70 genes are very strongly associated with autism and more than 250 are linked to the condition, a major new genetic analysis has revealed.
The analysis is the largest of its kind to date, involving more than 150,000 participants, including 20,000 diagnosed with autism.
The researchers found that genes linked predominantly to developmental delay tend to be active in early development of neurons (nerve cells), while autism-related genes tend to play a role in more mature neurons.
The investigators also found that, among individuals with schizophrenia, genes strongly associated with autism were more likely to be associated with genes that increase a person’s risk of schizophrenia.
“These analyses indicate that there are shared genetic risk factors between autism and other neurological and psychiatric disorders,” said co-senior author Joseph Buxbaum. He is director of the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City.
Based on the findings, Buxbaum said a genetically targeted approach to autism would benefit patients. That’s because treatments that work for individuals carrying a mutation in one gene may not work in other individuals with a mutation in a different gene.
“A critical takeaway is that autism has many genetic mutations driving it and thus genetic testing is warranted, not just for the benefit of families and individuals at risk for autism spectrum disorder, but also to drive development of therapeutics,” Buxbaum said in a Mount Sinai news release.
“The more we can advance therapeutics, based on the targets identified in these genetic findings, the more people we have the potential to help, which could have a significant impact in addressing autism and developmental delay worldwide,” he added.
The study, and three related ones, were published Aug. 18 in Nature Genetics.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more about autism.
SOURCE: Mount Sinai, news release, Aug. 18, 2022
Source: HealthDay
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Related
-
Some Abortion Pill Users Surprised By Pain, Study SaysAbortion pills are safe and effective, but some pain...
- December 20, 2024
-
FDA: Veozah, First Hormone-Free Hot Flash Drug, Issued Black Box WarningThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued...
- December 18, 2024
-
Non-heterosexual Women Report Better Sexual Functioning During MidlifeTUESDAY, Dec. 17, 2024 A woman’s sex drive often...
- December 18, 2024
-
Task Force Supports Women Over 30 Collecting Samples for Cervical Cancer ScreeningIn guidelines that may encourage more women to get...
- December 10, 2024
