Scientists have seen how a single protein can trigger autism spectrum disorders by stopping effective communication between brain cells.
The team from Duke University in North Carolina created an autistic mice with mutations of genes that control production of these proteins, Shank3.
Animals that have social problems and have a repetition of behavior, both of which are classic signs of autism and related conditions.
The study, published in the journal Nature published the expectation of the first effective treatment for autism.
Autism is a disorder, of various degrees of severity, which affects the ability of children and adults to communicate and interact socially.
While hundreds of genes associated with these conditions have been found, but the right combination of genes, biochemical and other environmental factors that make autism is still mysterious.
Each patient had only one mutation or a very influential, making it difficult to develop drugs to treat autism disorders.
Shank3 found at the synapse, junction between brain cells (neurons) that enables them to communicate with each other
The researchers created mice that have mutations in Shank3, and found that these rodents avoid social interaction with other rats.
"These findings and models in mice allows us to find defects in specific neural circuits responsible for abnormal behavior, which could pave the way for new strategies and targets to develop treatments," said Dr. Guoping Feng Now, head researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as reported by the BBC.
The mice also showed behavioral repetition and self-destructive tendencies.
When the MIT team analyzed the brains of animals that they find defects in the circuit that connects two different areas of the brain, the cortex and striatum.
Healthy relationship between this region is considered key to effective regulation concerning social behavior and social interaction.
The researchers say their work confirms Shank3 an important role in the formation in the brain circuitry that underlies all our behavior.
It is estimated that only a small percentage of people with autism have mutations in Shank3, but Dr Feng believes many other cases may be related to interference with other proteins that control the function of synapses.
Carol Povey, director of the National Autistic Society Centre for Autism, commented on this study, "Research in animals can help improve our understanding or the role of genetics and their influence on behavior, but only a small portion of the image that we get when talking about the understanding of autism."
"The human brain is far more complex than other mammals, and is believed there are various factors that are responsible for developing the condition," said Povey.
Some info about Autism below may be useful for you
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