Because housekeeping genes operate in the present, they may be easier to treat. Defects in developmental genes often result in structural defects, or differences, in the body or brain. Patty Rodier's work on the HoxA gene, which is involved in very early development of the brain stem, implies that autistic children aie born with a structural difference or defect in the cerebellum. Structural defects or differences can be treated chemically. Put very simply, structural differences naturally result in biochemical differences.
Pharmacologists develop medications to treat the biochemical difference.
And, of course, stem cell researchers hope one day soon to be able to replace missing or damaged cells with new and healthy cells. Nevertheless, many or perhaps most autism researchers hope to discover that autism results largely from differences or defects in housekeeping genes. A defect or difference in a housekeeping gene creates a biochemical difference, such as low levels of synaptic serotonin in clinical depression, for instance. Dr. Keller reports that the reelin protein in autism should be normal. Some researchers believe that reelin is important to learning and memory.