A new gene delivery system taps a protein found in people to encapsulate messenger RNA (mRNA), the intermediary between genes and proteins, and transport it into cells. The technique may help researchers ferry gene therapies or the gene editor CRISPR into tissues throughout the body. “We’ve be…

Earlier this year, researchers reported striking similarities in the functions of 10 autism genes: They all affect brain size and boost the number of immature neurons in the brain. The work raised hopes of finding common biological paths to autism. Most studies on gene function are done in mice, but…

The 2021 San Diego Festival of the Arts (www.sdfestivalarts.org) will celebrate its 35th show by relocating to the San Diego Surf Club Soccer Park in North San Diego, formerly the Del Mar polo fields, on Saturday and Sunday, September 11 and 12 from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM on Saturday and 10:00 AM …

Over the past century, scientists have used a variety of animal models to advance their understanding of the developing brain and autism. Here’s a chronology of some of the landmark discoveries involving uncommon autism models.   1916Notch up:Biologist Thomas Hunt Morgan identifies a frui…

In the past two decades, some autism researchers have turned to simple animals, such as roundworms, fruit flies and zebrafish, for their investigations. Others have sought answers from experiments with frogs, birds and even octopuses. In this special report, we describe these discoveries and the imp…

Muscat, Oman: The Arabic sign-language interpreter stood at the front of the auditorium, his gestures perfectly in sync with the presenter’s passionate, French-accented speech. The audience — more than 2,000 people assembled for the First Gulf Autism Conference in January 2020 — sat with rapt attent…

Whenever we need information, we reach for our phone. Have you ever wondered if just like our phones, every day objects could help us provide that same experience – touch a jacket sleeve or an arm band and it performs an action for us on our phone? Instead of swiping the touch screen, we swipe…

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is used by many people to help with a variety of issues, including epilepsy, anxiety,... The post Survey Finds That About a Fifth of Autism Parents and Caregivers Have Given CBD to Their Child appeared first on The Autism Site News. Source: The Autism Site

Steve Warren, a giant in the field of human genetics, died in June at age 67. In the realm of autism research, he may be best known for having co-discovered the gene FMR1, mutations in which cause fragile X syndrome, a leading inherited cause of intellectual disability and autism. Before the human g…

Recently I told Debra Muzikar (editor of the Art of Autism blog) about the book I wrote on Buddha Shakyamuni’s life entitled “Symphony for India Buddha and Freedom.” In this book, Siddhartha behaves like a person on the autism spectrum since early childhood. Debra asked me to write an article on wh…

Hello, and welcome to this week’s Community Newsletter! I’m your host, Chelsey B. Coombs, Spectrum’s engagement editor. You don’t often see a researcher promoting results that walk back their original research. But Victoria Southgate, professor of psychology at the University of Copenhagen in Denmar…

A Civil War historian makes the case for Stonewall Jackson having Asperger’s Syndrome By Nils Skudra As a Civil War historian, I always have a fervent interest in studying how its notable political and military leaders made a significant impact on the course of the war. One of the most iconic…

The post Spotted around the web: Autistic women, joint attention, prenatal vitamins appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Last month, the journal PLOS ONE added an editorial “expression of concern” to an autism brain imaging study it published seven years ago, following a dispute over access to the study’s materials and raw data. For the study — which has been cited 138 times, according to Clarivate Analytics’ Web of S…