One in three people with autism may be lacking a single protein in their brain, a new study suggests.  This new discovery could lead to new treatments to people with the condition.   Research charity Autistica praised the study and said it is "interesting" and "high-quality".

Researchers Used Introverted Mice To Reveal Autism Clues

Scientists at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum research institute in Toronto found that people with autism have lower levels of the protein called nSR100.  They used introverted mice - those who preferred to spend time with an orange plastic cup, rather than interacting with other mice in the enclosure - to understand symptoms of autism. 

The mice were bred with decreased level of nSR100.  According to The Globe And Mail, this protein is a linchpin that controls many other pieces of intricate molecular machinery. Mice that don't have it die at birth. Mice with half the normal amount look a lot like they have autism.

Researcher Professor Sabine Cordes said: "We previously reported an association between nSR100 protein levels and autism. But this time we show that reduced levels of this protein could really be causative - that's a big deal. Just by reducing the nSR100 levels by 50 per cent, we observe hallmarks of autistic behaviour."

Protein Level Can Be Increased To Improve The Condition Of People With Autism

Genetically-engineered mice who have just half the normal amount of nSR100 displayed signs of autism, like avoiding social interaction and being more sensitive to noise.  Professor Cordes suggested that to help improve the condition of people with autism, the amount of protein can be increased.

"Instead of focusing on individual mutations linked to autism, it's much more powerful to identify regulatory hubs like nSR100," she advised.  "In the future, if you turned this protein up a little bit in autistic patients, you might be able to improve some of the behavioural deficits."