Scientists in China have bred monkeys with a human autism gene and corresponding symptoms in an effort to find a treatment for the debilitating but poorly understood disease, a study said Monday. The “transgenic” macaques behaved similarly to autistic people, the team wrote – making repetitive gestures, showing anxiety and lacking social interaction. This meant they could serve as a reliable animal model for research into the causes and possible cures for autism in humans – a feat welcomed by other specialists not involved in the study. “Our findings pave the way for the efficient use of genetically modified macaque monkeys to study brain disorders,” the authors explained. Until now, animal studies of autism have relied mainly on laboratory mice – a species very far removed from humans in terms of genes, behavior and physiology. The team led by Zilong Qiu from the Institute of Neuroscience in Shanghai has therefore created special test tube monkeys and given them multiple copies of the MECP2 gene, which is believed to be linked to autism in humans. The monkeys were born to female surrogates and their behavior was studied as they grew up. The researchers observed, among other things, “an increased frequency of repetitive circular movements, increased anxiety, reduced social interaction.” People can suffer from a range of behavioral abnormalities under the umbrella term of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Often, those affected are unable or unwilling to communicate or interact with others, sometimes in a debilitating way. Some patients have delays in cognitive development, while others can have outstanding talents in areas such as mathematics or music. The brain structure of autistic people is different from that of other people, but the exact cause or causes remain unclear, although genetics play a strong role. There is no cure, and behavioral therapy is the main intervention. – Passing on to offspring – One of the monkeys passed the transgene on to its offspring, which also exhibited autistic behavior – supporting the hypothesis of a genetic cause for autism, the study authors said. Qiu said the team will now scan their monkeys’ brains to identify circuit deficits. “Once we identify this brain circuit problem associated with the autism-like behavior, we will use therapeutics such as gene editing tools … to manipulate this MECP2 transgene in the transgenic monkey,” he explained. They could then begin testing potential treatments on the macaques – members of the closely related primate family – a first step toward a possible drug or therapy for humans. Qiu insisted the team’s methods met international ethical standards. Other scientists hailed the study as an “exciting development.” “Developing sophisticated animal models of autism has always been a major challenge for scientists,” said James Cusack, head of research at autism charity Autistica. “This excellent research has developed a more sophisticated model of autism that could advance our understanding of autism and eventually lead to the development of more tailored treatments,” he said via the Science Media Centre. Melissa Bauman, a psychiatry professor at the University of California, said the work “opens up the possibility of exploring genetic risk factors in a species more closely related to humans.”
Chinese scientists create “autistic” monkeys
