Autism risk ‘can largely be linked to common gene variants’

A new US study has shed further light on the genetic causes of autism, revealing that the condition can largely be attributed to common gene variants.

Conducted by the National Institutes of Health, the research revealed that 52 percent of the risk for autism can be traced to common and rare inherited variations, with spontaneous mutations accounting for only 2.6 percent of the total risk.

All in all, genetic variations account for around 60 percent of the liability for autism, outweighing all other risk factors. 

Dr Joseph Buxbaum of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai said: "Although each exerts just a tiny effect individually, these common variations in the genetic code add up to substantial impact, taken together."

This study was the largest of its kind to date. Getting to know the nature of the genetic risk will help scientists get closer to the molecular roots of the disorder.

In the UK, it is estimated that about one in every 100 people has an autism spectrum disorder, with several complex genetic and environmental factors known to be involved.