Many Tiny Mutations May Contribute to Autism
This article discussed how a father's
age, may affect his child having autism. It was discussed that
hundreds of tiny genetic changes called copy number variants (CNV)
may increase the risk of autism. These genetic changes are rare, but
they may be involved in the development of 30 percent of autism
cases. This new research supports an earlier theory that having a
older father is a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder. It is a
scary though that all people have some CNVs in their genes, which are
harmless, but those with mutated CNVs have devolved their brain
differently, because it alters the gene pathway, which is critical in
development.
I
found it interesting that it said these gene mutations were more
prevalent in children with older fathers, but also that a study
showed that the fathers of girls with autism were 17 times more
likely to be in their 40s than their 20s and fathers of boys were
four times times more likely to be in their 40s. I wonder what the
link between this gene mutation is between girls with autism and boys
with autism and their fathers is. Does it actually affect girls and
boys with autism differently? Was it just coincidence that these
girls with autism had fathers who were older? There is still much to
be discovered about autism but as stated in the article, “they show
that we now have the tools to discover more genetic risk factors, as
well as explore the possible environmental factors that interact with
them.”
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