by Patty Manhart With the assistance of recent funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, scientists may soon discover a wider range of genetic links for autism and other developmental disorders on the autism spectrum . According to a Bio-Medicine news article from September 30th, 2009, the Children’s Hospital of Boston will be receiving about 4.5 million dollars as part of the federal stimulus package to conduct research that will map the human genomes of autism patients. It is hoped that this research project will make available comparisons of clinical autism patients and their DNA variations in order to better understand and possibly correct the origins of this disorder.
Despite previous research conducted in this field, only 85 percent of the exact genes linked to autism have been discovered. Scientists leading the study have selected 85 Middle Eastern patients with recessive forms of autism to narrow down possible mutations to 1 percent of their genome. More specifically, doctors will be analyzing the “exome,” which codes for proteins. Secondly, all base pairs (A, C, T, G) will be examined to for any mismatches which, as learned in class, can lead to genetic mutations. Additionally, the codons that begin or end gene activity will also be examined for any inconsistencies.
In Sylvia Mader’s Human Biology, the ability to “select your children” is discussed as part of the advances being made in DNA technology. As Mader states, “it may be possible to cure genetic disorders before the child is born by adding a normal gene to any egg that carries a mutant gene” (Mader 457). With the genome sequencing data being developed by this team of Boston scientists, Mader’s prediction is very likely to come true.
