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Published on July 27, 2021
A study by scientists at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong suggest that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have a distinctive and underdeveloped range and volume of gut bacteria that isn’t related to their diet. The team’s findings indicated that children with ASD…
Published on January 14, 2021
Tandem repeat mutations, found in non-coding areas of the DNA, could be linked to the presence of autism spectrum disorders, according to University of California researchers. Autism is known to have a substantial genetic basis with both inherited, developmental and spontaneously occurring mutations contributing to its occurrence. Spontaneous, or de…
Published on June 19, 2020
Scientists at NeuroPointDX in collaboration with researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute and other institutions across the country, have now reproducibly identified unique metabolic signatures—called metabotypes—in more than 50% of the children from the Children’s Autism Metabolome Project (CAMP). CAMP is the largest study yet undertaken of the metabolism…
Published on May 18, 2020
Researchers in Brazil have identified a group of co-expressed genes that are dysregulated in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neuronal cells from patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and which could potentially be used as a biomarker or even therapeutic target for the neurodevelopmental disorder. The study results, reported by…
Published on April 16, 2020
Gene mutations in autism spectrum disorders are known to cause protein overproduction in brain cells. New research from the Scripps Research Institute shows that protein overproduction in microglial cells, immune cells located in the brain, may have the most relevant effect. Microglial cells normally act by engulfing dead or dying…
Published on January 23, 2020
The largest ever exome sequencing study on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was recently published in Cell, and it has revealed more than 100 genes are implicated in the disorder. This information is the first step in better understanding the neurobiology behind the phenotype and developing treatments for this disorder. Dr.…
Published on February 22, 2018
Biomarker-based blood and urine tests have been developed for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by researchers at the University of Warwick in the U.K., who suggest that the tests could accelerate the start of treatment by enabling much earlier diagnosis. The approach, developed by a team headed by Naila Rabbani, Ph.D.,…
Published on August 23, 2017
A new study published on August 23 in JAMA Psychiatry has revealed that changes in the mitochondrial genome may be an underlying cause of autism spectrum disorder. The researchers reported a strong association between ancient mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants and ASD. “What we discovered is that a very significant proportion of…
Published on August 20, 2024
Could one gene be responsible for autism, or at least play a major role in it? New lab research from the Rockefeller University and collaborators suggests this is a possibility. The researchers found that knocking out the gene ASTN2 leads to several hallmark behaviors of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in…
Published on August 20, 2024
Artificial intelligence can reliably screen for autism using minimal medical and background information collected before the age of two years, research indicates. The machine learning model outlined by researchers in the journal JAMA Network Open could help overcome the bias and subjectivity that has overshadowed traditional screening tools. Researcher Kristiina…
Published on July 31, 2024
Levels of a fatty acid in cord blood may help determine autism spectrum disorder (ASD) severity in childhood, according to work by a research team from University of Fukui, Japan. The researchers quantified polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from cord blood and later used various tests to assess subsequent ASD symptoms…
Published on July 12, 2024
Genetic variants of a specific small nuclear RNA (snRNA), a family of non-coding RNAs that play a vital role in the spliceosome, account for nearly one in every twenty cases of neurodevelopmental disorders. According to early-access research published in Nature, these variants in the U4 snRNA RNU4-2 account for approximately…
Published on July 10, 2024
The link between the gut microbiome and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is strongly supported and expanded on by a new metagenomics study, published in Nature Microbiology from a Chinese team. Their analysis includes not just bacteria native to the digestive tract, but also fungi, archaea, and viruses too. Their work…
Published on May 16, 2024
A web-based therapy can benefit children with autism by plugging into their natural affinity for technology and robots. The Robot-Inspired Computer-Assisted Adaptive Autism Therapy (RoboCA3T) uses robot avatars and integrates them with computer-assisted therapies. It reinforces the role of technology in improving engagement and developing skills in children with autism spectrum…
Published on November 21, 2023
A new artificial intelligence (AI) system can diagnose children between the ages of 24 and 48 months with autism at a 98.5% accuracy rate, according to research being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The system analyzes specialized brain MRIs and…