New biomarker panel could accelerate autism diagnoses

Investigators have identified a group of blood metabolites that could help detect some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These findings are a key step toward developing an ASD biomarker test. Investigators at the UC Davis MIND Institute and NeuroPointDX, a division of Stemina Biomarker Discovery, have identified a group of blood metabolites that could help detect some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Part of the Children’s Autism Metabolome Project (CAMP), the largest metabolomic ASD study ever attempted, these findings are a key step toward developing an ASD biomarker…

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People on the Spectrum 66% less likely to get Cancer

      A reprint of the Bullet Points People with autism had more variation in genes known to cause cancer Yet they were 66% less likely to be diagnosed with the disease, study found Experts: Findings could pave way for new treatments for both conditions Scientists already studying whether cancer drugs could help treat autism   People with autism are significantly less likely to suffer from cancer, a study has revealed. While they have more gene mutations known to cause cancer, they are 66 per cent less likely to be…

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Pesticide effect on cells may resemble signs of autism

A class of fungicides used on crops can produce changes in mouse brain cells that look strikingly similar to those seen in the brains of people with autism. The findings, published 31 March in Nature Communications, support the use of ‘transcriptomics’ — a rapid method of analyzing gene expression in cells — for identifying chemicals that trigger patterns of gene expression like those seen in autism. The method could flag chemicals that contribute to the condition1. “It provides a rational way of finding environmental risk factors,” says study leader Mark…

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Eye-gaze tracking may offer objective tool for detecting autism in children

Methods for detecting early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are primarily observational, spanning from parent reports to clinical evaluation. But researchers at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital have found remote eye-gaze tracking technology may be a more effective tool for spotting signs of ASD. In research published Friday in the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, study authors observed the technology helped identify children with autism from children without autism but with other developmental issues like ADHD, anxiety and intellectual disabilities. “Abnormal eye gaze is a hallmark…

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MIT study uncovers possible genetic link for ADHD, autism

A blockbuster MIT study provides new evidence of a genetic link for both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism — a possible breakthrough researchers say could lead to the use of cutting-edge gene therapy treatments for behavioral and developmental syndromes in the future. “One of the long-term goals is gene therapy where we can actually introduce genetic material that might be missing from the human,” said Michael F. Wells, a 
post-doctoral associate at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University. “What’s exciting is that this is now a possibility,…

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We all carry the genes for autism, study finds

The autism spectrum is a continuum, scientists say, and we’re all on it. A large international study of the genes that predispose people to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) suggests that the same gene variants are also present in the wider population, where they can contribute to a range of behavioural and developmental traits with lesser severity than clinical ASD. According to the researchers, there’s no real cut-off point on the autism spectrum – rather, it’s a continuum of complex genetic factors that can affect our behaviour. But for a small…

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Autism spectrum has no clear cut-off point, research suggests

New study published in Nature Genetics indicates that genes predisposing people to autism could influence social skills in the wider population. The same genes involved in predisposing people to autism appear to influence social skills in the wider population, suggesting that the autism spectrum has no clear cut-off point, scientists have discovered. Researchers have previously shown that autism is linked not just to one or two powerful genes, but to the combined effect of many small genetic changes. The latest findings, published in Nature Genetics, suggest that social charm, empathy…

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Pa. to become 1st state to add autism as qualifying condition for medical marijuana

Click here to read full story at wgal.com HARRISBURG, Pa. —Pennsylvania is set to become the first state in the country to explicitly stipulate autism as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana. That will happen if the amended version of the bill, a “functional medical marijuana bill,” passes the Senate and gets a signature from the governor. “Functional” states list out the ailments for which doctors can prescribe medical marijuana. In addition to autism, the House-passed version of the bill lists 16 other eligible conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease and cancer.…

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