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Scientists Implicate More Than 100 Genes In Causing Autism
By Nancy Shute of NPR
The hunt to find genes that cause autism has been a long slog, one hampered by a lack of technology and families willing to be tested.
But the effort is starting to pay off. On Tuesday, researchers at more than 50 laboratories said they had identified more than 100 genes that are mutated in children with autism, dozens more than were known before.
These are mutations that crop up spontaneously, not ones that parents pass down to their children. At least 30 percent of autism cases are caused by these spontaneous mutations, according to researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
To continue reading the full story, visit NPR's website: http://ow.ly/DAAJ2.
