Project to Look For Autism Gene

With the aid of a $4.5 million federal grant, Harvard Medical School and two affiliates are embarking on a project to sequence the genes of 85 patients suffering from autism in the hopes of better understanding the causes of the mysterious disorder.

No clear cause of autism has yet been discovered, and though past research has suggested genetic causes, only a dozen genes have been linked to the disorder.

The researchers—working at the Medical School, Children’s Hospital, and the Broad Institute—say this project differs from past endeavors because it utilizes new, more powerful technology to sequence the exome—the set of DNA that explicitly codes for proteins.

Harnessing more powerful computers gives researchers “a sharper knife to a familiar problem,” said study leader Christopher A. Walsh, a Medical School pediatrics professor.

If the group is able to sequence the genome of the patients, researchers said they will be able to better identify the specific mutations that cause autism. The grant, issued by the National Institute of Mental Health as part of billions in federal stimulus money, gives the group 18 months to conduct the funded research.

“There is no explanation for what causes the condition,” Walsh said. “We want to bring as much clarity as we can for that discussion.”

The information could provide valuable insight for doctors, patients, and their families.

“An amazing aspect that I think is particularly salient about the genetics aspect of the research, especially in the clinical setting, is that it provides some hope and a set of answers for families,” said Clement J. Bottino, a physician in a developmental health clinic in Children’s Hospital.

Bottino stressed that autism is particularly difficult to diagnose and deal with because the children have difficulty with social interaction.

The fairly new fairly new method of genome processing may be able to help address this urgent concern of how to diagnose the disorder.

“The more we discover about genetic mechanisms, the more we can develop treatment in the future,” Walsh said.