High levels of an inflammatory protein in pregnant women may lower the risk of autism in their children.

Triggering immune defenses in pregnant mice leads to autism-like behaviors not only in their pups, but also in the following generations.

Researchers are proposing an ‘international brain station’ to share data between labs, China is becoming the destination for primate research, and 1 in 25 papers contains inappropriately copied images.

A class of fungicides used on crops can produce changes in mouse brain cells that look similar to those seen in people with autism.

Bacterial fragments can cross the placenta of a pregnant mouse into the brains of her developing pups, leading to a surplus of neurons in the pups.

Studies link taking antidepressants, acetaminophen and some asthma drugs during pregnancy to autism risk, but the dangers of going off them may outweigh the risks.

The possibility that autism is caused by a maternal immune system gone awry is no longer a fringe idea — but proposals to identify or fix these glitches are still controversial.

Researchers have identified a key immune molecule in pregnant mice that produces autism-like behaviors in their pups.

The combination of obesity and diabetes in a pregnant woman substantially increases the likelihood that her child will have autism.

Some of our favorite stories this year went beyond the news to lay bare critical controversies or highlight real-world implications of research.