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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: rare variants

February 2017

Method reads brain cell signatures to reveal risky mutations

by  /  10 February 2017

A new approach ranks genes’ ties to autism based on their expression patterns in different types of brain cells.

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December 2016

Notable papers of 2016

by  /  26 December 2016

Our picks for the top 10 papers of the year highlight leaps in our understanding of autism, as well as lingering gaps.

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November 2016
An illustration of two grandmothers conversing in front of a genealogical tree, suggesting ancestry and a history of autism in the family.

What grandmothers can teach scientists about autism’s inheritance

by  /  9 November 2016

Women who have raised a child with autism may be well-positioned to spot subtle signs of the condition in their grandchildren. A new study puts their powers to good use.

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October 2016
A mutation in a human-specific DNA

Autism risk may originate in stretches of uniquely human DNA

by  /  6 October 2016

Mutations in certain newly evolved stretches of the genome may play a role in autism, although some experts are skeptical of this theory.

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September 2016
Week of SeptemberSep
26th
2016

Spectrum of color; biased review; fees please

by  /  30 September 2016

Non-white adults with autism may feel forgotten, names on papers may bias peer reviewers, and eLife will begin charging publication fees.

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Mutations tied to autism rife in ‘junk’ DNA

by  /  9 September 2016

More than one-third of the spontaneous mutations linked to autism crop up in genomic segments that do not code for genes.

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May 2016
Illustration shows doctors in Libya looking at a city, with children standing in the foreground.

The gene hunters

by  /  18 May 2016

Criss-crossing the globe on a quest for unusual DNA, researchers have discovered a rare mutation that promises insights into both epilepsy and autism — and points to a treatment.

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Mutations in tuberous sclerosis gene may be rife in autism

by  /  14 May 2016

Mutations in TSC2, a gene typically associated with a syndrome called tuberous sclerosis, are found in many children with autism.

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April 2016

Large genetic registry may uncover autism’s diverse origins

by  /  21 April 2016

Researchers are launching a new project that aims to collect genetic information from 50,000 people with autism, along with their relatives.

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January 2016

Study maps genetic variability in autism brains

by  /  14 January 2016

The first effort to sequence genes tied to autism in postmortem brain tissue reveals a range of harmful mutations in people with the condition.

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