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1 May 2012

A Newsletter from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative

NEWS Studies highlight promise of fragile X treatment Large sequencing study ties autism genes to fragile X VIEWPOINT Social motivation, reward and the roots of autism IN BRIEF Cognition and behavior: Autism, antisocial brains differ Molecular mechanisms: Stress pathway dysregulated in autism Clinical research: Study suggests four autism subgroups TOOLBOX Researchers engineer mice lacking microRNAs BLOG Fast-forward Why oh Y

NEWS

Studies highlight promise of fragile X treatment

A promising approach to treating fragile X syndrome could benefit people even after the critical window of early brain development, and alleviate core symptoms of autism, according to two studies published this month.

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Large sequencing study ties autism genes to fragile X

Children with autism carry twice as many new and damaging genetic

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mutations as typically developing children, according to a new study published in Neuron. The researchers also identified intriguing genetic links between autism and fragile X syndrome.

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VIEWPOINT

Social motivation, reward and the roots of autism

Social impairments in autism are likely a consequence of deficits in social motivation that start early in life and have profound developmental consequences, says psychologist Robert Schultz.

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IN BRIEF

Cognition and behavior: Autism, antisocial brains differ

Autism and antisocial disorder are separate conditions, with distinct differences in underlying brain structure, according to a neuroimaging study of the general population. The results were published 4 April in The Journal of Neuroscience.

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Molecular mechanisms: Stress pathway dysregulated in autism

Two studies report abnormalities in the system that mediates the body's response to stress in two mouse models of autism-related diseases: Angelman syndrome and Rett syndrome. The results were published in the April issue of Human Molecular Genetics.

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Clinical research: Study suggests four autism subgroups

Individuals with autism may belong to one of four groups with discrete sets of symptoms, the most distinct of which includes immune system abnormalities accompanied by sleep problems and sensory sensitivity. The results were published in the April issue of Autism Research.

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TOOLBOX

Researchers engineer mice lacking microRNAs

Researchers are developing a resource that will allow scientists to engineer mice lacking one of 162 microRNAs non-coding regions of the genome that regulate gene expression. The results were published 19 April in Cell Reports.

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BLOG

Fast-forward
In the last three years, autism researchers have gone from sequencing single genes to whole exomes, as highlighted at the Translational Neuroscience Symposium in Switzerland last week.

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Why oh Y
New research on children with extra sex chromosomes points to the Y chromosome's role in autism.

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