First scientific paper based, in part, on IAN data is published

For Immediate Release
July 31, 2007

On April 18, 2007, only two weeks after the Interactive Autism Network's official launch, Dr. Michael Wigler of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) was the first researcher to use IAN data. He and his team have now published their groundbreaking article, "A Unified Genetic Theory for Sporadic and Inherited Autism," in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

This is the very first publication based, in part, on IAN data. The article describes a new genetic model for understanding how autism is acquired. Unlike previous genetics efforts, which were largely focused on looking for an autism susceptibility gene --a gene or genes that cause autism in many families around the world-- the new model sees the underlying cause of autism as the spontaneous, new mutation of a gene.

Read about this important new model and how it allows for the possibility of genetic and environmental interaction.