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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: epigenetics

July 2018
A red and blue pattern of genes.

Algorithm flags harmful mutations in single copies of genes

by  /  20 July 2018

A new tool can predict a genetic problem called ‘haploinsufficiency’ in which a mutation impairs the function of one copy of a gene.

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June 2018
tangles of brightly colored RNA, DNA and enzymes

Refined versions of gene-editing tool increase its versatility

by  /  29 June 2018

Four new techniques expand the repertoire of the gene editor CRISPR.

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Week of JuneJun
4th
2018

Oversold diets; big brains explained; tracking CRISPR and more

by  /  8 June 2018

Benefits of diets for autism features remain unproven, variants of the same DNA region make brains big or small, and STAT announces a new CRISPR tracker.

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New technique scales up ability to find DNA tags in genomes

by  /  8 June 2018

A new method helps researchers map the patterns of chemical tags in large batches of cells.

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May 2018
hands holding colorful pills

Infant seizures, maternal meds top list of risk factors for autism

by  /  2 May 2018

Epilepsy in infancy and the use of prescription medications during pregnancy are the strongest of 29 known risk factors for autism in a child.

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April 2018
A cancer drug boosts levels of a key protein (red) in mice lacking SHANK3.

Cancer drug shows promise for treating some forms of autism

by  /  2 April 2018

A low dose of a drug used to treat lymphoma may ease social problems in some forms of autism.

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March 2018
Deleting DNA repeats from fragile X neurons restores expression (right, red) of the gene silenced in the syndrome.

CRISPR tweak fixes genetic flaw in fragile X syndrome

by  /  29 March 2018

A modified version of the genetic engineering tool CRISPR may restore expression of the gene mutated in fragile X syndrome.

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Week of MarchMar
5th
2018

Reproductive choice; controversial behavior; twice-exceptional struggle and more

by  /  9 March 2018

A woman with autism had to fight for her sterilization surgery, a mother’s tactics with her son on the spectrum generate controversy, and gifted students with autism have unique struggles.

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February 2018
Certain genetic regions in mice loosen their wrapping around support proteins after the animals learn a new task.

Autism genes abound in DNA regions involved in learning

by  /  22 February 2018

The same processes that enable the brain to store new memories may also control many autism genes.

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January 2018
By staining the nuclei from all cells blue (left) and those from neurons red (middle), researchers can isolate the resulting purple nuclei from neurons (right).

Chemical tags on genomes in neurons altered in autism brains

by  /  31 January 2018

Neurons from people with autism may have an unusual pattern of chemical tags that turn genes on and off.

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