Researchers identify specific gene linked to female protection from ('severe') autism

Thanks B 

for transparency I studied biochemistry over 35 years ago but failed - cue a sidestep into movement arts and an allied health professional career up to post grad standard and I've tried to stay at least partly literate on following this sort of science especially over the past few years and yep although I've had the training to analyse these papers "by hand" as it where I tend to use AI to help "turn the handle" and translate this sort of stuff - fact checking is tricky for me still but...

really good quality study and interesting to me too - how science is managing to explore the connection with neuron-intrinsic genetics with a (personal correlate for me) neuro-inflammation (auto-immune correlates) is where things are heading.  They are managing to realise that things are not down to just a bunch of widely separate genes but "tunneled" into similar networks.  

Puts me in mind of a recent study where it was found that similar process are shared for 5 major illness previously considered to be separate https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/article/scientists-uncover-shared-biology-behind-profound-fatigue-in-five-major-illnesses are linked by in this situation a convergent molecular baseline.

I would like to humbly point out tho' that whilst you highlight "severe" autism the study does also specifically target genes often associated with profound or "severe" autism the authors explicitly explain in their discussion why these findings matter for the broader spectrum, including Level 1 ASD.

This is potentially opening the way not to "treat" the core essence of being autistic not w/r/to  brain development  but the sort of nasty and severe, co-occurring stuff like severe sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal issues, epilepsy, or heavy duty anxiety, which are often governed by these same underlying biological pathways.

Best wishes