A team of UCLA students recently conducted a new study that portrayed
that families containing more than one child on the autism
spectrum had a difference in genetics in comparison with families containing
only one child with the disorder. The study was centered around copy-number
variations which are genetic changes, specifically gains or losses of genetic
material. Research in the past has connected non-inherited CNVs, which began as
a defected egg or sperm cell, to autism spectrum disorder in offspring that had
no affected sibling. The findings of the current study included more than 12
new candidates for genes that were connected to the chance of autism spectrum
disorders occurring. This study helps to give a clearer understanding of how
genetic variation contributes to autism disorders.
The findings of this study identified that children with autism
spectrum disorder who also have a brother or sister with the same disorder had
inherited CNVs that had stronger influence that non-inherited CNVs did. The
researchers predicted that this would happen but it had not previously been
observed before. Scientists also found that affected children with an inherited
genetic variation that was believed to be an autism spectrum disorder risk
factor was not always the same in their affected siblings. It is likely that
not all siblings with autism have the same disease–linked genetic variation.
The findings of this study are particularly interesting because it
will help point scientists in the right direction to potentially discovering
new therapies to help with the disorder. The more scientists understand about
various disorders and diseases, especially when it comes to their genetic makeup,
the better chance they have of finding cures and better ways to treat them, or
maybe, even eliminate them all-together.
This genetic variation of autism among siblings is interesting, and I learned something new out of it.
ReplyDeleteThis article was interesting, because it validated that there is a possible link between genetics and autism. I didn't know how autism-spectrum disorders could be inherited so it was valuable to learn the details behind it.
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