Kaiser To Search For Causes Of Autism In Large-scale Study

Kaiser Permanente is about to begin what is believed to be the largest genetic research project ever conducted by a health organization into the causes of autism, gathering biologic and other health information from 5,000 Northern California families who have child with the developmental disorder. Scientists have long suspected that autism results from a combination of genetics and environmental factors, but no one knows for sure. “This is an opportunity for the families who are affected by autism to really contribute their expertise and experience and help find answers,” said Lisa Croen, director of the autism program at Kaiser’s Division of Research in Oakland and the study’s principal investigator. Autism is a complex neuro-developmental disorder characterized by a range of symptoms that include difficulties in communicating, social impairment and repetitive patterns of behavior. “There have been a lot of genetic studies done and the one thing we know for sure is it’s very complex,” said Neil Risch, study co-investigator and the director of the UCSF’s Institute for Human Genetics. The study, called the Autism Family Research Bank, was funded by a $4.6 million grant from Simons Foundation, a charity that supports a variety of health and social welfare initiatives. The grant will fund the recruiting of families and the collecting of detailed genetic, medical and environmental information, all of which is expected to take three years. In addition to looking closely at the genetics, researchers will study other prime suspects associated with autism such as the age of the parents, environmental exposures during gestation and the early post-natal phase, immunological abnormalities and additional health issues such as seizure disorders. “The only the way to get answers is by contributing to the current body of research,” Bullock said, who serves on the community advisory board for Kaiser’s Autism Research Program.