Geneticists at Kobe University in Japan have discovered that ancient viruses alter the human genome, causing some types of autism to develop in humans. The results of the research of scientists have been published. magazine Molecular Psychiatry.
The human genome contains “fragments” of ancient retroviruses – such fragments make up about 8% of DNA. In most cases, they do not affect the state of the body in any way, but they can be involved in some processes. According to the authors, their role has been little studied.
The scientists conducted a series of experiments with mice in their study. The rodents suffered from idiopathic autism—autism with no known genetic or environmental cause. Brain scans of two different but related mouse strains, named BTBR/J and BTBR/R, revealed structural differences in 33 brain regions. The biggest differences were noted in the corpus callosum, the nerve bundle that connects the two hemispheres of the brain.
As it turned out, BTBR/R mice had more active viral inserts in their DNA than mice without autism. According to scientists, during the development of the fetus in the mother’s womb, the mechanism that prevents the activation of attachments is disabled, which increases the risk of autism.
“We need more research to determine exactly how activation of these regions in the genome makes people more likely to develop autism. The results of these studies are likely to help better classify the types of autism and develop methods for its treatment,” the researchers said.