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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Genes

Rare or common, inherited or spontaneous, mutations form the core of autism risk.

November 2011

SFN storms the capital

by  /  11 November 2011

We’re headed to Washington, D.C. for the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, and hope to make your lives a little bit easier by reporting on what matters to you.

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PRICKLE2 is new autism candidate gene, group says

by  /  10 November 2011

After analyzing the brains and behaviors of mutant mice and screening genes in people with autism, researchers have pinpointed what they say is a new autism candidate gene: PRICKLE2. The unpublished work was presented Thursday in Washington, D.C.

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Rapamycin reverses memory deficits in DISC1-deficient mice

by  /  10 November 2011

A drug in trials for treating autism-related disorders can reverse memory problems and anxiety in adult mice lacking the schizophrenia gene DISC1 in some cells. The unpublished results were presented yesterday in Washington, D.C.

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SFN storms the capital

by  /  10 November 2011

We’re headed to Washington, D.C. for the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, and hope to make your lives a little bit easier by reporting on what matters to you.

Comments

Molecular mechanisms: MeCP2 may modify DNA structure

by  /  9 November 2011

The Rett syndrome gene MeCP2 may subtly regulate the expression of genes across the genome by altering DNA structure.

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Researchers map genetic variation in mice

by  /  9 November 2011

Researchers have sequenced 17 laboratory mice and mapped 56.7 million single-base DNA variants in their genomes, according to a study published 15 September in Nature. A companion paper in the same issue identifies more than 700,000 structural variants, which are insertions, deletions or other modifications of DNA.

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Autism tests struggle to balance accuracy and speed

by  /  8 November 2011

Two studies published in the past month highlight the challenges in balancing the accuracy of autism diagnosis with cost-effectiveness and speed.

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Young brains

by  /  4 November 2011

A large, centralized bank of brain tissue from young people could greatly accelerate autism research. Thanks to a growing interest from nonprofit organizations, the idea is finally gaining momentum.

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Genetics: Size of 22q13 deletion predicts clinical features

by  /  4 November 2011

In a study of people missing an autism-linked region on chromosome 22, researchers have found that the larger the deletion, the more likely the individual is to have severe symptoms, from motor and speech delays to a large head and fleshy hands.

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Sequencing technique optimal for postmortem brains

by  /  2 November 2011

A technique for detecting gene expression that detects short RNA messages is better suited than traditional methods for analyzing postmortem brain tissue, according to a study published 10 September in BMC Genomics.

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