JULY / AUGUST 2007

FEATURES

HMS scientist sees Gulf Region as key to decoding autism mystery

Autism is a developmental disability resulting from a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction, communication, and reasoning. Its causes have been the subject of research for many years.

Early theories, such as those fingering parenting styles with the blame, have been discredited, and most researchers now believe that autism is likely to be a genetic condition. Genetic conditions are the result of a change in the genetic material, but these changes (also called mutations) are not always inherited. Often, changes in genetic material may occur spontaneously in a developing embryo so that the change is not present in either parent. Such is the case with autism and autism spectrum disorders.

Research into the genetic components of the disorder continues, with the hope that narrowing down the chromosomal triggers for autism would help bring about diagnosis far before the disorder begins to impact on behavior, which takes place in the toddler to early childhood years. Early diagnosis allows for early counseling and treatment to improve the quality of life of the autistic patient.

Dr. Christopher Walsh

One such laboratory where the understanding of autism is taking shape is that headed by Christopher A. Walsh, MD, PhD, a pioneer in the genetic analysis of diseases that disrupt the development of the cerebral cortex. Walsh is Chief of the Division of Genetics at Children’s Hospital in Boston and Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

"In recent years, researchers have focused their efforts on identifying genes that, when altered, may lead to autism. Our laboratory is actively searching for these genes using a variety of techniques,” he said Walsh. “Identifying these genes will help us to better understand the mechanisms underlying autism and lead to additional research focused on improved diagnosis and treatment of autism disorders.”

Health care leaders, scientists, and top clinicians from the Gulf Region gathered in Dubai in June for an education event, led by Walsh, focused on autism and related disorders. There has been as yet no comprehensive study of the prevalence of autism in the United Arab Emirates, but researchers suggest it is higher than the global average of around one in 250 children.

The program was jointly organized by the Harvard Medical School Dubai Center (HMSDC) Institute for Postgraduate Education & Research and the Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research (DHFMR), in cooperation with Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC). Walsh is a member of the Dubai Harvard Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Committee, which is charged with designing and monitoring the success of scientific and clinical programs relating to the Foundation. 

Robert Thurer, MD, Chief Academic Officer of HMSDC and Executive Director of the Foundation, said, “We are currently witnessing an explosion in knowledge and understanding of autism, including the genetic basis for the disease. At the same time, there is a critical need to provide today’s clinicians with the ability to assess and treat the growing number of autism cases. The challenge of autism is a perfect example of the importance of linking laboratories with clinical practice.”

The program featured lectures by regional and Harvard Medical School-affiliated faculty on the molecular genetics of autism, the neurobiology of autism, and the assessment and intervention of the disorder. Representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Department of Health and Medical Services, and autism centers around the United Arab Emirates attended the program.

While in Dubai, Dr. Walsh and a team from his Boston laboratory also evaluated a number of local children with autism, as part of a five-year study. The team met with families with a high incidence of autism and collected DNA samples that will enable them to investigate the genetic markers of the disorder.

“The Arabic population of the Persian Gulf region, like the population of Iceland, has been genetically isolated, and the large size of families presents a unique opportunity in the study of autism in the region,” said Walsh, who added that data collected in the Middle East will be assessed along with hundreds of other samples taken from around the world.  

The local data collection and assessment was welcomed by international and local autism experts at the seminar. Dr. Sabitha Murthy, head of the molecular cytogenetics unit at Al Wasl Hospital, offered her support, saying, “I am dying to do research on this group of handpicked individuals from the region.”

Copyright 2007 Harvard Medical International