Autism spectrum disorder genomics: The progress and potential of genomic technologies

Genomics. 2020 Nov;112(6):5136-5142. doi: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2020.09.022. Epub 2020 Sep 15.

Abstract

Genomic technologies have accelerated research progress in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) genomics and promises to further transform our understanding of the genetic basis of this neurodevelopmental disorder. Here we review the current evidence for the genetic basis of ASD, present the progress of large-scale studies to date and highlight the potential of genomic technologies. In particular, we discuss evidence for the importance of identifying rare genetic variants in family-based studies. Genomics is a key feature of future healthcare and our review illustrates it's potential to improve our biological understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders, and to ultimately aid ASD diagnosis, inform medical decision making and establish genomics as central to personalised medicine.

Keywords: ASD; Autism; Genomics; Rare; Sequencing; Variation; Whole-genome.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / diagnosis
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / genetics*
  • Exome Sequencing
  • Gene Dosage
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genomics
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Humans
  • Mental Disorders / genetics
  • Whole Genome Sequencing