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Tracy Hampton, PhD

JAMA. 2007;297:1303-1304.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Tackling the genetic complexity of some neurological conditions is no easy task, but researchers have begun to unravel the heritable components of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) through studies of affected families. By analyzing the DNA of 1600 families with at least two affected individuals, the Autism Genome Project Consortium, a group of more than 120 collaborators from 50 centers in North America and Europe, performed the largest genome scan to date for ASDs, finding clues to autism susceptibility (Autism Genome Project Consortium. Nat Genet. doi:10.1038/ng1985 [published online February 18, 2007]).

Throughout the 5-year study, funded primarily by the nonprofit group Autism Speaks and the National Institutes of Health, the collaborators shared DNA samples, data, and expertise (Hu-Lince D et al. Am J Pharmacogenomics. 2005;5:233-246). "The plan came together around the idea that we needed to increase the sample size of affected families and to have . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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