Researchers identify gene linked to autism and epilepsy

Some of my fellow Canadians are making huge waves in the healthcare community this week with the identification of the gene linked to both autism and epilepsy. Neurologist Patrick Cossette, a professor in the faculty of medicine at the Université de Montréal, and his research team had been looking for the genes responsible for epilepsy when they discovered another connection in the complex genetic architecture of autism. Several genes have already been linked with many forms of autism. An estimated one in 1,000 people suffer from a severe from of autism and about a third of them also have epilepsy. But until now the reason why these two diseases exist together has been a mystery. In the online edition of Human Molecular Genetics, Cossette explains that the defect in both is a deregulation in the function of synapses and the communication process between neurons in the brain. The gene plays a crucial role in the development of membrane surrounding neurotransmitters, which travel between two neurons. The discovery is expected to open new doors in the understanding of brain pathology and offer a new focus for treatment. Bambi Blue is a freelance writer, editor, and social butterfly living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. When she's not blogging her little heart out for HealthCareJobsite.com, she moonlights as a jazz musician and most apparently a weisenheimer. Loves to cook, hates to clean, and can easily be found on Twitter. To read more of Bambi's posts, head toHealthCareJobsite.com and see additional job postings at Nexxt.