The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a critical role in regulating social behaviors. In mouse models of ASD, dysfunction in the ACC was linked to social impairments associated with the disorder.
Using CRISPR gene editing, researchers introduce the SHANK3 gene variant into macaque monkeys. SHANK3 has previously been linked to autism in humans. The monkeys with the SHANK3 mutations exhibited behavioral traits and brain activity patterns similar to those seen in humans on the autism spectrum, Researchers hope the new model will facilitate new avenues of research for ASD.
A deficiency of the SHANK3 gene, a gene associated with ASD, results in structural and functional deficits in the prefrontal cortex. The functional and structural alterations in the PFC were linked to an impairment in social interaction in male mice.
Deficiencies in the SHANK3 gene have been linked to sleep disruptions in both mouse models and people with ASD. Researchers found patients with Phelan-McDermid syndrome, a genetic disorder associated with autism, report trouble falling, and staying asleep. In mouse models, animals lacking the SHANK3 gene had a reduction in deep sleep quality and spent more time awake when other mice were sleeping.
A new study reveals a mechanistic link between zinc levels in fetal development, genes and abnormal neural connections associated with autism.
Researchers have derived purkinje cells from patients with TSC, a genetic syndrome that includes some ASD-like symptoms. The cells, researchers say, have several characteristics that could help explain how ASD develops at the molecular level.
Using CRISPR gene editing technology, researchers target the Shank3 gene in monkey embryos. Research backs previous findings of the importance of the Shank3 gene for brain development and its role in autism.
According to researchers, cellular changes in the brain caused by genetic mutations associated with Autism can be reversed with the help of zinc.
A new study reports a gene mutation linked to autism also plays a critical role when it comes to the formation and maturation of synapses.
Researchers have developed a new mouse model of a genetically linked type of autism. The new model helps reveal more about the role of genes and brain changes associated with the disorder.
Researchers demonstrate they can reverse some autism symptoms in mice by turning the Shank3 gene on later in life, allowing the brain to correctly rewire itself.
