
New zebrafish lines with mutations in the high-confidence autism risk genes DYRK1A and GRIN2B have been added to SFARI resources.

New zebrafish lines with mutations in the high-confidence autism risk genes DYRK1A and GRIN2B have been added to SFARI resources.

Genevieve Konopka and colleagues coupled brain imaging with measures of gene expression to reveal that gene expression patterns in the cortex that typically underlie functional brain activity in neurotypical individuals are affected in people with autism.

Phenotypic data from 296,307 participants enrolled in SPARK, including 117,203 individuals with ASD, are now available to approved researchers. Genomic data (whole-exome sequencing and genome-wide genotyping data) are also available for 81,172 SPARK participants. Of these, 3,568 genomes and 34,164 exomes are from individuals with ASD.

Clinical Research Associates, L.L.C., an affiliate of the Simons Foundation, has recently launched a randomized controlled trial to test the safety, tolerability and efficacy of arbaclofen in 16p11.2 BP4-BP5 deletion syndrome.

In a series of articles published in the journal Nature Genetics, researchers used data from the SPARK research cohort, which was created to advance our understanding of the complex genetics of autism and includes genetic data from nearly 43,000 people with autism. The findings show differences in genetic influences among people all along the autism spectrum.
Gina Turrigiano and colleagues showed that the phosphorylation state of the autism-associated synaptic scaffold protein Shank3 can bias synapses toward upward or downward homeostatic plasticity.
Vinod Menon and colleagues showed that a subregion of the auditory cortex decodes emotional cues in a communication partner’s voice and that this predicts social communication abilities in children.

This issue of the SFARI newsletter includes: (1) SFARI 2022 Bridge to Independence fellows announced, (2) Simons Searchlight: July 2022 data release, (3) Event: How emotions shape our memories, (4) Highlights of SFARI-funded research, (5) 2022 Genomics of ASD: Pathways to Biological Convergence and Genetic Therapies – Request for applications, (6) SFARI Supplement to Enhance Equity and Diversity (SEED) — Request for applications.

Joshua K. Hartshorne, Stefano Anzellotti and colleagues used machine learning to disentangle variations in neuroanatomy that are specific to autism from variations common to the general population.

SFARI is pleased to announce that it has selected seven fellows in response to the 2022 Bridge to Independence Award request for applications.