New genetic candidates help explain why autism affects males more often than females

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Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Duncan NRI, and partner institutions identified genetic candidates that may help explain why autism is diagnosed more often in boys than girls. Their study highlights small changes in the X-chromosome gene MECP2 as a possible factor.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital and collaborating institutions have identified new genetic candidates that help explain why autism is diagnosed about four times more often in boys than in girls. The study, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, reveals that small changes in the gene MECP2 on the X chromosome might help explain part of this difference.