Scientists create mice with autism to study the disease

 

Study has identified the genetic changes related to autism

Scientists in the U.S. said on Monday they had created mice with autism by eliminating a group of genes, with the hope of advancing the diagnosis and treatment of this disease in humans.

Previous studies have suggested that the causes responsible for this developmental disorder may be genetic, which in turn can cause difficulties in social relatedness, repetitive play, sensitivity to certain lights and sounds and behavior problems.

Some autistic children have a small deletion on chromosome 16, affecting 27 genes, which is why scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York decided to try to genetically alter a group of mice that had the same genetic mutation.  Read More

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