About autworks continued
Autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is a complex multigenic disorder with a wide spectrum of phenotypes. Although it is clear that Autism is highly heritable, the molecular agents responsible remain elusive, and it remains unclear whether the genetic component is a combination of a few common variants, or of many rare variants. More than 100 genes have been tied to Autism, each of which is involved in numerous different biological processes and in a variety of different molecular interactions. No single researcher can completely grasp the complexity of this Autism gene space, and perhaps for this reason, few genes have emerged as promising markers or targets for therapeutic intervention.
Therefore we must step away from the tendency to focus on single genes to a focus on the entire genetic system of Autism. As we are now in the wake of the genome era, we have the data and the computational savvy to take this step by creating a complete network of direct and indirect molecular interactions among all genes that have been linked to Autism to date. This total evidence network would be an incredibly powerful way to aid and abet the role of serendipity and inspiration in the exploration of the molecular etiology of Autism. Researchers working on other complex disorders have already taken similar steps with tremendous success. For example, recent network-based analyses of Ataxia and Huntington's disease have yielded a better understanding of the molecular composition of these diseases as well as new potential targets for therapeutic intervention. It is our intention, as a primary goal of our research plan, to build the complete Autism gene network.
Autism shares many behavioral characteristics with other neurological disorders. These similarities are indicative of underlying similarities at the molecular level. Because of this, we believe that it is imperative to compare the Autism network with the susceptibility gene networks of ALL related neurological disorders. We have begun the search for related disorders using phylogenetic methods. Our work so far is preliminary but highly promising. Here is a first view of the Autism's closest relatives (Phylogeny). All of the disorders networks in this phylogeny have been integrated into Autworks for your perusal. A rough sketch of the methods we have used to date may be read here.