Columbia University Begins Search For Causes Of Autism International Effort Considered Groundbreaking

Main Category: Autism
Article Date: 11 Apr 2008 - 2:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Columbia University researchers are involved in a multi-site consortium to gather and bank DNA samples from 2,000 autism patients and their families over the next three years.

The Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) is a coordinated effort to create a database of information about cases where there is only one family member with autism. This group, which represents the great majority of autism spectrum disorders, may lead us to new insights regarding the underlying mechanisms of autism. Earlier efforts, such as the work of Cure Autism Now and the Women's Health Initiative, studied multiplex families or families with two or more siblings with autism.

The Columbia University research is being led by Bradley Peterson, Director of the Division of Child Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons & Director of the Department of Child Psychiatry at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. "This will be a landmark study in the history of our understanding of the causes of autism, and one in which we are proud to participate. Its bank of DNA samples will provide an invaluable resource for scientists across the world to study both the genetic and non-genetic causes of autism for generations to come. Findings from the study will aid the development of better diagnostic tests and improved treatments for autism," says Dr. Peterson.

Families are currently being recruited to participate in an initial assessment and then may be invited into other research projects as work continues. Eligible families include just one child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), age five or older; one or more siblings without ASD, age four or older; and both biological parents who are willing to participate.

The Simons Initiative will be carried out in existing university-based clinics by individual investigators from different universities throughout North America including Emory University, Harvard University, McGill University in Montreal, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Illinois-Chicago, the University of Michigan, the University of Missouri, the University of Washington, Vanderbilt University, Washington University, and Yale University.

The Simons initiative was launched by mathematician and philanthropist Jim Simons and his wife, Marilyn, to find causes and cures for the wide range of conditions called autism spectrum disorders. In addition to establishing the SSC, the Simons Foundation has recruited world renowned scientists to join the initiative.

Gerald Fischbach, a neurobiologist and former Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the NIH, oversees the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative. "All future studies depend on the accuracy of the clinical assessment. We have adopted the very best practices in the field and we have trained and certified clinicians at each university site. This effort is unprecedented in its depth of analysis and in the potential for follow-up studies over time," says Fischbach.

Recent scientific findings suggest that there may be many forms of autism. There are core deficits that define ASD, yet there is a great deal of variation in the behaviors and level of functioning among children and adults with ASD. Catherine Lord, a nationally known autism researcher and lead investigator of the Simons Simplex Collection, notes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about one of every 150 children are now diagnosed with some form of ASD.

Researchers say it is important to identify sub-types of autism in order to develop appropriate treatments or prevention strategies. A key benefit of the Simons Simplex Collection is its ability to support research across a range of areas with an adequate sample to address different sub-types.

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. Autism spectrum disorders impact the development of brain processes related to social interaction, communication skills, and movement control. According to Lord, "Medications may help with related conditions such as depression and hyperactivity, but currently, the best way to deal with autism is to intervene as early as possible to treat the condition."

DNA gathered through the Simons Simplex Collection will be stored at a central repository and will be distributed to qualified investigators throughout the world. The privacy of all families involved will be protected at every step in the research process. The collaboration of scientists and affected families across the nation to assemble this data bank will, for the first time, offer genuine and well-founded hope that by improving our understanding of the causes of autism we will be able to develop truly effective treatments that will benefit the autistic children and their families," says Dr. Peterson. "This is an important step toward the rational development of more effective therapies and prevention strategies for autism. We are all working tirelessly together to ease the burden on children and their families from this devastating condition."

http://childpsych.columbia.edu