This article describes a study showing that many children with autism have a mutation in a gene involved in brain development, immune system function, and digestion.
The authors describe how previous research into the genetics of autism has focused on genes involved only in brain function. In this study, they take a different approach, and focus on a gene that is also involved in the immune system and digestion. Previous studies have shown that many children with autism seem to have problems in their immune system and digestive system. After analyzing the genes of 1,231 individuals with autism, they found that this gene was significantly more likely to be altered than in the general population. Because this gene is involved in brain development as well as the function of the immune and digestive systems, the result suggests that more than one system may be affected in autism.
