Tel Aviv University researchers have unraveled a mechanism shared by mutations in genes that cause autism.
They have also developed an experimental drug that could lead to effective treatments not only for autism, but also for other syndromes that impair brain function, including schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s.
The scientists focused mainly on the mutations in the ADNP gene, which Gozes said “disrupt the function of the ADNP protein and lead to structural defects in the skeleton of neurons in the brain.”
In the lab, the researchers were also able to identify mutations in SHANK3, a gene associated with autism and schizophrenia. According to estimates, these two mutations are responsible for thousands of cases of autism around the world.
This article was first published by Israel21c.