When people think of autism, some make an unfortunate connection with vaccines. But a recent breakthrough in autism research will allow scientists to start answering questions about the disease’s causes — and vaccines aren’t one of them.
Earlier this week, scientists from the Chinese Academy of Science announced the creation of genetically modified monkeys with the symptoms of autism.
Scientists generally use animal models to study human diseases. The most common ones are fruit flies and rats, but these animals aren’t social enough to model the symptoms associated with autism.
That’s where monkeys come in.
Monkeys have complex behaviors and allow researchers to show the symptoms — like antisocial behavior — of autism spectrum disorders closely.
Autism has been known to be a genetic disorder. Until recently, not much else was known about its causes. By sequencing the DNA of people with Rett syndrome — a severe form of autism — scientists identified a gene named MeCP2 which could be responsible for some symptoms of the disease.
To understand exactly how this gene causes autism, scientists must manipulate its expression — whether it is turned on or off — in living animals. To do this they create genetically modified lab animals, similar to how Monsanto makes genetically modified corn for us to eat.
They used a virus to insert the human gene identified in autistic patients into the DNA of monkey sperm. Then all they had to do was fertilize a monkey egg to make a genetically modified autistic baby monkey.
Once these monkeys were born, the scientists put them through a battery of tests to determine their mental abilities and if they exhibit the telltale signs of autism. The results of many tests were promising, demonstrating that the modified monkeys have reduced mental abilities and/or social behaviors.
While almost everyone agrees this new monkey model of autism is a huge improvement over existing mouse models, not everyone is convinced they accurately mimic the human disease.
However, since it’s unlikely we’ll ever create genetically modified diseased humans, for ethical reasons regarding it being right or necessary, the monkeys are the best science can do.
As freaky as it might seem, the importance of this breakthrough to science and medicine cannot be understated. These monkeys will allow scientists to get down to the nitty gritty details about what MeCP2 does inside the brain and how disrupting its function causes autism.
Once we know what’s wrong in the brain of autistic monkeys, science can begin to design treatments for people.
This process of creating genetically modified lab animals to study disease and develop treatments is not new. It has been done countless times in every available animal to study everything from cancer to epilepsy, and it has allowed for major breakthroughs in medicine over and over again.
