05 May, 2006 15:33 GMT
Scientists have created "autistic" mice by deleting a gene thought to be linked to the disorder in humans. The animals displayed a number of autistic-like traits, including poor social interaction and hypersensitivity.
The researchers believe the findings could help solve some of the mysteries of autism, a condition experts are still struggling to understand.
Genetic Mutation May Be Trigger
Autism is a spectrum of disorders characterized by difficulties in communication, extreme focusing on small details, and repetitive movements.
Usually emerging in childhood, it affects about one in 250 individuals, who are mostly male.
Scientists in the United States focused on a gene called Pten, which has been linked to autism and is also known to suppress cancer.
Some people with autism disorders have mutations in the gene, leading experts to suspect that this might be a trigger for the condition.
(c) Evening Mail; Birmingham (UK)
(c) 2006 Daily News Central. All rights reserved.
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