LA JOLLA–(January 30, 2020) Researchers at the Salk Institute have discovered a unique pattern of DNA damage that arises in brain cells derived from individuals with a macrocephalic form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The observation, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, helps explain what might go awry in the brain during cell division and development to cause the disorder.
“Division, or replication, is one of the most dangerous things that a cell can do,” says Salk Professor Rusty Gage, the study’s senior author and president of the Institute. “Most DNA damage is repaired through a remarkably efficient repair process, but errors occur when the rate of division is altered genetically or environmentally, which can lead to long term functional defects.”
more at: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-01/si-ssl012820.php [5]