Future of Autism Genetics is All in the Family

Two independent teams have identified the genetic culprits of three rare, inherited diseases by sequencing the genomes of several members of the same family. One of the studies appears today inScience.As the cost of whole-genome sequencing plummets, this family-based approach will reveal candidate genes not just for rare diseases but for common, complex disorders such as autism, experts say."It really shows the power of the technology," notes Michael Zwick, assistant professor of human genetics at Emory University, who was not involved with either study.Zwick's team is searching for genetic causes of autism by sequencing the X chromosome in boys with the disorder. "Whole-genome sequencing is certainly on the near horizon for autism," Zwick says.Read more at...SFARI, April 2010.

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