Autism understanding begins when an individual realizes that autism may be a disorder that affects individuals differently. Although autism affects the normal functioning of an individual's perception, attention and thoughts, autism isn't characterised by one type of perception, attention and thought. Instead, it covers a broad spectrum of disorders which will be delicate or severe. Due to the very fact that autism is such a advanced disorder, medical research is still in the process of understanding how it develops and why it affects sure individuals.
One particular medical project with the aim to seek out higher autism understanding by identifying the gene that causes autism, is that the five year Autism Genome Project (AGP). Therefore far, phase I of the AGP has identified a gene and parts of a chromosome to be linked with the occurrence of autism. The findings of this explicit autism study was published online in the Nature Genetics February 18, 2007 issue.
The Autism Genome Project could be a world research consortium that is funded by Autism Speaks and therefore the National Institute of Health. Autism Speaks is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to raising the notice of autism and raising funds to help research it.
The AGP involves more than a hundred and twenty scientists from fifty institutions in nineteen countries round the world. The researchers who have collaborated on the project combined their autism experience, and shared all of the information and samples they'd to help identify autism-connected genes.
As was mentioned, section I of this project began five years ago in 2002, and it allowed the team of medical experts to gain autism understanding by identifying a single specific gene called neurexil 1, and part of chromosome 11 which may likely be the cause of autism in children. These findings are based on the biggest autism genome scan that has ever been done.
Scientists have known for many years that autism could be a genetic disorder, but only until the AGP have they been in a position to use special "gene chip" technology to search for genetic similarities in autistics. Genetic similarities were found in practically all of the autistic individuals within each of the twelve hundred families that that were created half of the project. The scientists additionally checked the DNA of each family to look for copy variety variations that are believed might be connected to autism and similar disorders.
What the researches discovered in their study was that one particular gene known as neurexin 1 plays a vital role with glutamate; a neurotransmitter that has been formerly linked to autism. Researchers conjointly uncovered an area of chromosome eleven that is suspected to contain a gene that may be concerned in the occurrence of autism. However, this specific gene in chromosome 11 has however to be identified that is needed for further autism understanding.
Based mostly on previous analysis, and the research that has been uncovered by the study therefore way, scientists speculate that there could be as several as vi main genes and 30 extra genes linked to autism. However, these numbers are only theories, as scientists purpose out that the actual range of genes could exceed their theory. Nevertheless, despite the number of genes which will be involved, researchers admit that it is still way too early to dictate how these genes could be accountable for autism.
Currently, part II of the Autism Genome Project has been announced. The promising discoveries found in phase I makes scientists hopeful that discovering the genes that cause autism will provide new steps toward autism understanding. With larger understanding, a lot of effective methods of diagnosis, preventing and treating the disorder will be taken.
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