Mutations in "junk DNA" can cause autism

DNA is an important genetic material in the human body, which used to be considered useless and "junk DNA." But a new study suggests that "junk DNA" can cause autism if it mutates.
researchers at Princeton University and others reported in the new issue of the British journal Nature Genetics that they analyzed the genomes of 1,790 people with autism. These patients have no family history of autism and are more likely to have a genetic mutation.
Researchers used machine learning techniques in artificial intelligence to create an analytical model that compared the genomes of autistic people with relatives such as their siblings who were not autistic, and found that mutations in "junk DNA" could affect the regulation and expression of certain genes, increasing the risk of autism.
, only 1 to 2 percent of the human genome is responsible for encoding proteins, and the rest was once considered useless "junk DNA." But there is growing evidence recently that "junk DNA" plays an important role in regulating many physiological mechanisms.
researchers believe the results not only provide a new perspective on the causes of autism, but also suggest that people can explore the effects of "junk DNA" on diseases such as cancer and heart disease in a similar way. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
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