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Study links autism gene networks to possible female protection

Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital in the US found that disrupting one autism-linked gene can affect a wider network. They identify ZFX as a possible contributor to lower autism rates in females.

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Photo: Medical Xpress

  • Researchers found that disrupting one autism-linked gene can alter the activity of many others, a pattern they call transcriptomic convergence. NatureMedical Xpress

  • ZFX, a gene that escapes X chromosome inactivation, may help explain why autism is four to five times more common in males than females. Medical Xpress

  • The researchers say the findings could point to approaches that affect several autism-linked genes at once, but describe ZFX as a possible driver, not an established treatment target. NatureMedical Xpress