Largest ever ‘map’ of autism may hold clues for new targeted therapies - CNN
Researchers have utilized artificial intelligence to create a comprehensive molecular map of how genetic mutations associated with autism rewire the brain. This breakthrough identifies protein interactions as potential targets for future drug development, moving beyond the complexity of targeting individual genes.
Why it matters
This research provides a new, more efficient blueprint for developing targeted therapies for autism spectrum disorder.
Scientists are getting a step closer to understanding exactly how autism develops in the brain – and what might work to treat it. Using artificial intelligence and data on tiny brains grown in the lab, researchers have mapped out the ways in which certain genetic mutations that are associated with autism can rewire the brain and lead to the condition. The molecular map, published Thursday in the journal Science, could help inform more targeted therapies for autism. “You need this insight to ultimately develop drugs, and we’ve generated a map now that is providing essentially the molecular underpinnings of autism and pointing us in a multitude of different directions for ultimate drug discovery,” said study author Dr.
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