New Study Shines Light on Autism's Possible Genetic Cause

June 8, 2010

ABC News.com, TIME, USA Today and U.S. News & World Report’s parenting blog, and the news wires Reuters, Agence France Press, Canadian West and the Canadian Press reported June 9 and Scientific American, the Sydney Morning Herald, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News and KABC-Channel 7 reported June 10 on the world’s largest DNA scan, which linked autism to missing and duplicated genes that arise in the DNA of affected children but are not present in their parents. UCLA researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine and the Semel Institute included Rita Cantor, professor of human genetics; Dr. Stan Nelson, professor of human genetics and psychiatry; and Dr. Dan Geschwind, a professor of neurology and psychiatry who holds UCLA's Gordon and Virginia MacDonald Distinguished Chair in Human Genetics. All three coauthors were quoted.

  • “New Study Shines Light on Autism's Possible Genetic Cause” http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Autism/autisms-genetic-light-study/story?id=10867596&page=1
  • “To Help Cure Autism, Share Your DNA” http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-parenting/2010/06/09/to-help-cure-autism-share-your-dna
  • “Large-Scale Autism Study Reveals Disorder's Genetic Complexity” http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=autism-genetic-complexity&print=true “Scientists Find Autism has Complex Genetic Roots” http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6584CP20100609