Genetic Signature for Autism Found!! !

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benh72
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07 Aug 2013, 4:04 pm

I couldn't believe my eyes when the ticker tape announced this story on one of the morning news programs as I was having breakfast.
I've copy and pasted below, but I'm sure there will be lots of other stories and info on this soon.
Within years it may be possible to screen for Autism with a simple blood test!

http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-t ... 6693188756

Fnord
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07 Aug 2013, 4:11 pm

Here is a link to the Academic Profile of Dr. Eric Courchesne, the lead researcher of the study. He has published 20 papers in this field, and advised on many more.

Quote:

Dr. Courchesne's research focuses on the neurobiology of autism. His efforts have produced new information about the structural, functional, and genetic bases of this disorder. His work has been recognized through publication in such journals as Science and the Journal of Neuroscience. He is also the source of new insights on the functional role of the cerebellum ...

... Dr. Courchesne has developed a far reaching program in autism research, with a large consortium of highly respected collaborators coming from local institutions (UCSD, Salk, Scripps), as well as institutions across the country (UCSF, The Allen Institute for Brain Research in Seattle, Mount Sinai in New York, CHOP in Philadelphia, SUNY, and the University of Chicago). Administratively, he oversees more than 25 people including three UCSD faculty, four clinical psychologists and senior research scientists, laboratory assistants, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and undergraduate students. The center uses techniques such as sequencing, immunohistochemistry, bioinformatics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to conduct research.

This looks promising ... but I'll wait for actual production of the blood test to begin before I strike up the band.

Willard
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07 Aug 2013, 4:11 pm

benh72 wrote:

Making it simple for expectant parents to abort any baby that MIGHT possibly be born with any type of ASD.

Not exactly happy news.

Fnord
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07 Aug 2013, 4:13 pm

Quote:

A GENETIC "signature" of autism in babies as young as 12 months has been identified for the first time, an international conference is to be told.

Willard wrote:

Making it simple for expectant parents to abort any baby that MIGHT possibly be born with any type of ASD. Not exactly happy news.

Since when are 12-month old babies aborted for having Autism?

Please re-read the article.

Mack27
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07 Aug 2013, 4:21 pm

It appears that several groups are working on autism blood tests for babies. The article you linked mentioned 4 gene networks that are a "biological signature." Another study is targeting a type of autism that appears to be caused by maternal antibodies. I suspect that in our lifetimes there will be several physically identifiable and testable disorders that present in a similar fashion. Right now we group them all together under this umbrella we call autism.

Mack27
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07 Aug 2013, 4:28 pm

Willard wrote:

benh72 wrote:

Making it simple for expectant parents to abort any baby that MIGHT possibly be born with any type of ASD.

Not exactly happy news.

It's not a big leap to conclude this could lead to prenatal screening. It seems to me that the studies indicate that a genetic propensity for autism doesn't guarantee autism though, so it's entirely possible another outcome could be an actual vaccine for expectant mothers to receive to prevent autistic development in fetuses.

benh72
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07 Aug 2013, 4:47 pm

Many expectant mothers baulk at amniocentesis, which can identify some cases of Down syndrome,Sickle cell disease,Cystic fibrosis,Muscular dystrophy, and Tay-Sachs and similar diseases, so I doubt that an available test in utero that will be inconclusive for Autism if developed would be widely used at any rate.
Only if a reliable and accurate test in utero becomes available will it be possible for expectant mothers to abort a suspected case of Autism.
I have no moral obligation to that if that becomes the case; some parents are not equipped to cope with children in the first place, and for them having a child with Autism, or some other disorder would be too much for them.
My preference of course would be for people like that not to reproduce at all, as they are not likely to good parents regardless of if their children are born with problems or not.
Only parents that can show unconditional love can provide a health environment for children to grow in, and compassion is not dependant on socio economic status, culture, or faith.

GregCav
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07 Aug 2013, 6:20 pm

Regarding abortion:

I suspect that in most cases, one or both of the parents will be on the Autism spectrum. So having an Autistic baby would not be unexpected.

Take me for example. I want to have children. And to discover that they have Aspergers? Shock Horror.

Now a severity test might be different.
And I also understand that many hospitals already kill off babies that show signs from day one of severe abnormalities (undisclosed of course).

Mike1
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07 Aug 2013, 7:10 pm

Mack27 wrote:

I hope not. A lot of people would use that information to abort even the most high-functioning Autistics, if a severity test was also made available. And after they develop a prenatal test for Autism, they'll probably start developing one for Synesthesia, so they can abort them too. Maybe eventually a lot of people will abort babies just because they're albino or have a vestigial tail. Even the most minor deformities and mutations could become an excuse to abort. Probably about 4 out of 5 fetuses will be aborted in a few decades.

Fnord
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07 Aug 2013, 7:16 pm

The Conspiracy Theorists must really be salivating over this one!

"ONOES! OMG! there gonna bort teh most briliunt mindz and innepndint thinkerz cuz their all awtistik!! !!"

:lol:

Come to think of it ... what's to prevent a conspiracy of Autistic doctors from preferentially aborting most neurotypical fetuses in an effort to create a master race of people who are more concerned with scientific advancement than with who wins on American Idol?

:chin: Hmm ... we'd need to ramp up the propaganda effort ...

CornerPuzzlePieces
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07 Aug 2013, 7:47 pm

Fnord wrote:

The Conspiracy Theorists must really be salivating over this one!

"ONOES! OMG! there gonna bort teh most briliunt mindz and innepndint thinkerz cuz their all awtistik!! !!"

:lol:

Come to think of it ... what's to prevent a conspiracy of Autistic doctors from preferentially aborting most neurotypical fetuses in an effort to create a master race of people who are more concerned with scientific advancement than with who wins on American Idol?

:chin:

Hmm ... we'd need to ramp up the propaganda effort ...

I'm envisioning a hybrid contraption somewhere between an infant incubator and the bad egg device from willy wonka.

Fnord
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07 Aug 2013, 7:49 pm

I expect a new thread to be started ... "Did George Lucas' THX-1138 have Autism?"

:lol:

neobluex
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07 Aug 2013, 8:15 pm

No one will have to waste hours in a endless diagnostic interview

1401b
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07 Aug 2013, 9:35 pm

Fnord wrote:

Quote:

A GENETIC "signature" of autism in babies as young as 12 months has been identified for the first time, an international conference is to be told.

Willard wrote:

Making it simple for expectant parents to abort any baby that MIGHT possibly be born with any type of ASD. Not exactly happy news.

Since when are 12-month old babies aborted for having Autism?

Please re-read the article.

That would be a Seventh Trimester Abortion. You haven't had one of those?

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Dannyboy271
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07 Aug 2013, 9:50 pm

Fnord wrote:

The Conspiracy Theorists must really be salivating over this one!

"ONOES! OMG! there gonna bort teh most briliunt mindz and innepndint thinkerz cuz their all awtistik!! !!"

:lol:

Hmm ... we'd need to ramp up the propaganda effort ...

I had a laugh reading this, but it still offends me.

Just because you made people sound stupid doesn't mean they're wrong. (Assuming that was your intent. Get at me if I'm wrong.)
The possibility of people aborting autistic babies is a very possible one.

There are a large number of parents who are intolerant or don't understand autism. They think it's some sort of curse on them or their children. Some parents, when they hear the possiblilty of their kids having autism actually get angry. They think "How dare you say such a terrible thing!!" Which we know... is not terrible at all. I would love to see the day when psychologists say "Congratulations!! Your child has autism!!"

On the other hand there are a large number of people who abort there babies for minor or large abnormalities.

Just mix the numbers and you have a number of people who will abort their babies for being autistic. Pretty simple concept, and like you said; How else are we going to make a master race of humans? -kidding.

Shizzle
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08 Aug 2013, 7:14 pm

with my luck, the test would come out negative and everyone would say "see, we KNEW you were just making all this nonsense up -- now, start being normal, dammit! " :lmao:

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