The genes associated with autism risk are common to all ethnic groups, according to research

They have identified 35 genes significantly associated with autism in the Latin American cohort

The genes associated with the risk of autism are, to a large extent, the same in people of different ethnic origins, according to research whose conclusions are published this Monday in the journal Nature Medicine. In the last decade, scientists have identified numerous rare genetic variants that confer a substantial risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Their limitation was that the vast majority of people studied were of European origin. To address this gap, the findings of the study known today are based on one of the largest genomic studies to date conducted on people from Latin America and provide "strong evidence" that the genetic architecture of autism is identical for diverse populations. The research team, led by researchers from the Mount Sinai Hospital's Faculty of Medicine in New York, has analyzed genome sequencing data from more than 15,000 Latin American people from North, Central, and South America, including approximately 4,700 people diagnosed with autism. The Latin American population represents the largest group of mixed ancestry in the world, with Native American, West African, and European origins. This rich genetic diversity offers a great opportunity to refine the associations between genes and diseases, the authors point out.

Key Genes

Scientists have examined more than 18,000 genes in search of rare coding variants, that is, genetic changes that may have clinical implications for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of autism.

In total, 35 genes significantly associated with autism have been identified in the Latin American cohort, which represents a broad overlap with those previously identified in whole-genome studies of people of European descent.

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"Our results indicate that the core genetic architecture of autism is common across all ancestries. The underlying biology in the disease is universal and reinforces the importance of ensuring that diverse populations are represented in genetic research," says lead author Joseph Buxbaum, director of the Seaver Autism Research Center at Mount Sinai. The study results confirm, according to the authors, the growing evidence that both rare and common genetic risk factors for complex disorders are shared by diverse populations.