No longer so vague and mysterious, the disorder has footprints that scientists can follow to understand how different forms of autism develop. The study, published in the December issue of Teratology, confirms that autism is largely a genetic disorder. Scientists from the University of Rochester studied 57 people with autism and found that 40 percent had an altered version of HOXA1, which is crucial to early brain development. This suggested a genetic susceptibility occuring early in fetal development and prompted researachers to study the the HOXA1 gene, a known player in early brain development. Of course, this research bonanza on the genetics of autism does nothing for my brother or the 400,000 other Americans diagnosed with autism.
Many scientific steps lie between the discovery of a gene and a new treatment.
For starters, the HOXA1 work has to be confirmed by a larger study, which will take at least a year. Moreover, HOXA1 is hardly the only genetic clue to autism. Researchers believe up to 10 genes may be involved. We're not looking for the cause or the cure. Autism is not even one illness, but a class of disorders, with varying severity and perhaps of different origins.