Questions for Alysson Muotri: Applying autism tools to Zika
Mini-brains grown from stem cells in culture can reveal the effects of both autism and the Zika virus on early development.
Mini-brains grown from stem cells in culture can reveal the effects of both autism and the Zika virus on early development.
A comprehensive catalog of the genes that show ties to both autism and cancer highlights the role of cell growth in both conditions.
Mice with a mutation in CHD8, the top autism gene, show no signs of any of the condition’s core features.
The first in-depth look at people with alterations in the 1q21.1 chromosomal region reveals a range of features, from problems with fine motor skills to autism.
Mutations in a section of chromosome 16 that is linked to autism have an unexpected effect: They alter the miniscule hairs, or cilia, that adorn the surface of all cells. The findings suggest that problems with these cilia may contribute to autism.
Missing a swath of chromosome 16 with strong ties to autism disrupts proteins crucial for early brain development. The findings open the door to targeted interventions.
Mutations in the gene DYRK1A underlie a type of autism marked by an unusually small head. The new work expands the breadth of symptoms included under the autism umbrella.
Fetal mice that have too many neurons grow to show social deficits and repetitive behaviors. The finding, reported 11 December in Cell Reports, debuts a mouse model of autism that’s based on a biological abnormality seen in some people with the disorder.
This year was full of big headlines in autism research. But the biggest stories aren’t necessarily the best — here are some gems you may have missed over the year.
Several brain regions in people with autism become enlarged earlier than usual during childhood and shrink too soon during adulthood, finds an eight-year imaging study.