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TSC2 gene; cortical thickness; long noncoding RNA

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 10 February.

By Jill Adams
11 February 2025 | 1 min read
  • Low levels of CHD2, an autism-linked gene, impair lysosomal activity in human stem cells, and high levels of this gene enhance lysosomal activity in ancestral primate lines, according to a preprint. bioRxiv
  • Loss-of-function variants of the autism-linked TSC2 gene alter DNA methylation patterns and protein expression that are linked to lineage commitment and premature electrical activity in stem cell cultures. Human Molecular Genetics
Research image of neural rosettes.
Many paths: Differentiation of stem cells depends on TSC2 gene activity, as seen in neural rosettes cultured from people with two (left), one (middle) or zero (right) functional forms of the autism-linked gene.
  • Cortical thickness is associated with IQ scores and autism trait severity in young autistic children with or without intellectual disability. Autism Research
  • Long noncoding RNAs can affect the expression of neighboring autism-linked genes in neural progenitor cells, according to a preprint. bioRxiv
  • “Here, we articulate the benefit of studying contextual factors, and we offer selected examples of published longitudinal autism studies that have focused on how individuals develop within context.” Autism Research

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