Although mice and humans have many genes in common, a new catalog highlights significant differences in how these genes are regulated. This resource, dubbed mouse ENCODE, clarifies the extent to which mice can accurately model complex human diseases such as autism.

An analysis of genes expressed in the postmortem brains of people with autism has identified three molecular pathways linked to the disorder. The findings, published 10 December in Nature Communications, add to mounting evidence that the myriad causes of autism converge on common biological processes.

To optimize the search for autism genes, researchers should collect large numbers of sequences — but the sequences need to be of the right kind, says Michael Ronemus.

Each child with autism is different from the next. One approach rapidly gaining momentum makes sense of this diversity by grouping children together based on their genetics, then looking for patterns in their symptoms. The long-term aim: personalized treatments for each subtype of autism.

A new study points to a possible link between inflammation in the womb, brain overgrowth and the behavioral impairments seen in autism.
 

Rats exposed in utero to the epilepsy drug valproic acid, a risk factor for autism, do not develop autism-like behaviors if they are reared in a stimulating environment. Researchers presented the unpublished findings yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Loss of MeCP2, the Rett syndrome gene, depletes immune cells throughout the bodies of mice, researchers reported yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Mice born to older males with mutations in PAX6 — a gene involved in brain development — vocalize less than those with younger dads. The unpublished findings, presented today at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C., suggest how genes and paternal age can work together to trigger symptoms.

Soft touch and physical closeness to other people wire the social brain right from the earliest days after birth, and problems in the response to touch may play a fundamental role in autism. This picture emerges from unpublished results presented by several teams at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Mice born via cesarean section show subtle social deficits and increased immune and stress responses, suggesting a link between microbe exposure during birth and behavior. Researchers presented the unpublished work today at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.