New evidence for genetic basis of autism found

Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have discovered that one of the most common genetic alterations in autism -- deletion of a 27-gene cluster on chromosome 16 -- causes autism-like features. By generating mouse models of autism using a technique known as chromosome engineering, CSHL Professor Alea Mills and colleagues provide the first functional evidence that inheriting fewer copies of these genes leads to features resembling those used to diagnose children with autism. The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the early online edition during the week of October 3.

Read the whole article on Physorg

More from Physorg