23 October 2012

A Newsletter from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative

NEWS Newborn blood may reveal early immune signs of autism

CONFERENCE NEWS: Society for Neuroscience 2012 Movement patterns may distinguish autism subgroups Researchers swing toward monkey models of autism Researchers release first data from human connectome project Social molecule disrupted in autism mouse model

For more reports from the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, click here. IN BRIEF Molecular mechanisms: Immune molecule boosts brain size Cognition and behavior: Mind blindness in autism syndromes Genetics: Duplicated Rett gene causes autism-like syndrome

TOOLBOX New technique takes sharp look at whole mouse brains

BLOG Transparent reports Helpful hurdles

NEWS

Newborn blood may reveal early immune signs of autism

Children diagnosed with autism tend to have low blood levels of several immune molecules at birth, according to an epidemiological study published in August in the Journal of Immunology.

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CONFERENCE NEWS: Society for Neuroscience 2012

Movement patterns may distinguish autism subgroups

Analysis of the movement patterns of people with autism suggests a new approach to classifying the disorder, as well as opportunities for individualized treatment, according to research presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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Researchers swing toward monkey models of autism

Researchers in Japan have completed the first step in creating transgenic monkey models of autism, according to a poster presented at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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Researchers release first data from human connectome project

The first wave of data from the Human Connectome Project, a five-year $30 million effort to map the structure of the human brain, is now freely available, researchers announced at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

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Social molecule disrupted in autism mouse model

Mice missing the autism-linked gene CNTNAP2 have broad defects in their oxytocin system, according to research presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans. Treatment with oxytocin alleviates social deficits in these mice.

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IN BRIEF

Molecular mechanisms: Immune molecule boosts brain size

Mice with elevated levels of the immune molecule interleukin-6 have abnormally large brains, according to a study published 23 August in the International Journal of Neuroscience.

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Cognition and behavior: Mind blindness in autism syndromes

Trouble with theory of mind, or the ability to infer what other people think or believe, is one of the most well-known deficits in autism. Two new studies show that theory of mind is also lacking in people with autism-related syndromes.

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Genetics: Duplicated Rett gene causes autism-like syndrome

Individuals with an extra copy of MeCP2, the gene mutated in Rett syndrome, have severe developmental delay accompanied by seizures, respiratory infections, poor motor skills and features of autism, according to two new case studies.

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TOOLBOX

New technique takes sharp look at whole mouse brains

A new microscopy technique allows researchers to take high-resolution threedimensional images of intact mouse brains.

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BLOG

Transparent reports
New standards for animal studies, including an emphasis on replicating results and the publication of negative findings, are vital for research progress, says Jacqueline Crawley.

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Helpful hurdles
Rapid progress in gene discovery and an emerging map of the molecular landscape of normal brain development are presenting unprecedented opportunities to unravel the biology of autism spectrum disorders, say Matthew State and Nenad Sestan.

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