Prenatal diagnosis

Recent articles

Human silhouettes are seen against a colorful, abstract representation of a genetic sequence.

How geneticists can gain greater buy-in from the autistic community

My recommendations aim to foster a collaborative relationship between researchers and the Autistic community, resulting in an increase in the availability of genetic data.

By Wrigley Kline
9 September 2022 | 7 min read

Fetal brain scans may forecast autism traits in toddlers

Children with highly folded and curved brains in utero tend to show autism-linked behaviors at 18 months of age, according to a longitudinal brain-imaging study.

By Grace Huckins
7 May 2021 | 3 min read
White lab mouse sitting in a gloved hand.

Notable papers in autism research, 2020

Gene therapies and the factors influencing autism traits top Spectrum’s list of the 10 most notable research findings we covered in 2020.

By Spectrum
23 December 2020 | 4 min read
Micrograph of nerve cells being targeted by CRISPR enzyme to activate the silenced gene in Angelman syndrome

Prenatal CRISPR therapy blocks Angelman syndrome traits in mice

A gene-editing treatment shows long-lasting effects in a mouse model of Angelman syndrome, a genetic condition related to autism.

By Angie Voyles Askham
9 November 2020 | 5 min read
Ralf Schmid, the research director in Neurodevelopmental diseases at the Gene Therapy Program Orphan Disease Center, loads replicated mouse dna into wells in the gel before applying electric current to test the viability of the dna.

A quest for Quincy: Gene therapies come of age for some forms of autism

A gene therapy for Angelman syndrome stands at the forefront of efforts to treat autism-linked conditions that stem from single genes.

By Lydia Denworth, Brendan Borrell
14 October 2020 | 24 min read

Researchers map connections in fetal human brain

A new map of the fetal brain during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy reveals the brain's complex network of connections.

By Chloe Williams
24 January 2020 | 2 min read
Illustration shows woman peering at her partner and child from behind a 'curtain' of genome sequence

The problems with prenatal testing for autism

As prenatal testing improves, it presents a host of thorny issues — from what to test and how to interpret the results, to what to do about them.

By Marta Zaraska
14 August 2019 | 12 min read

Ultrasensitive blood test may detect autism mutations in utero

A blood test can accurately detect whether a fetus carries large mutations of the kind linked to autism, according to pilot-study results.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
18 July 2019 | 3 min read
Illustration of a human fetus in a screening test

Prenatal sequencing for some autism genes may soon be available

Two new studies point to the possibility of detecting autism mutations before birth — along with all the ethical and logistical problems that may bring.

By Jessica Wright
10 April 2019 | 5 min read

Mitochondrial risk; anxiety amelioration; fever factor and more

Some variants in mitochondrial DNA are more common than others in autism, cognitive therapy reduces anxiety for people on the spectrum, and maternal fever in the third trimester is tied to autism risk.

By Emily Willingham
25 August 2017 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Two lab mice fighting.

From friend to foe: How the brain updates feelings toward others

A specific hippocampus-to-amygdala pathway reassigns emotional valence to a known individual, whereas the hippocampus’s own representation of that individual’s identity remains stable.

By Natalia Mesa
9 July 2026 | 5 min read
Illustration of scientist in lab coat looking at shelves of computer network models.

Mass-produced science is coming. What happens to scientists?

Artificial intelligence may soon enable researchers to generate high-quality science at a previously unimaginable speed. For science consumers—the public, medical patients, technology users—the likely effects will be positive. For scientists, the effects will be as disruptive as industrial mass production was for artisan manufacturers.

By Kenneth Harris
9 July 2026 | 9 min read
Adriano Aguzzi.

Neuropathologist not guilty of research misconduct, says university probe

The investigation determined that seven papers by corresponding author Adriano Aguzzi have “scientifically significant” errors, which Aguzzi attributes to his former students.

By Dalmeet Singh Chawla
8 July 2026 | 5 min read