SHANK1

Recent articles

Oil and water with colors behind: blue, green, yellow and red.

How microscopic ‘condensates’ in cells might contribute to autism

A controversial idea about how cells compartmentalize their contents into droplets — like beads of oil in water — could be key to understanding autism, says Julie Forman-Kay.

By Angie Voyles Askham
23 February 2021 | 7 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

The treasures of monkey island

On Cayo Santiago island, scientists track the alliances and power struggles of a colony of feral monkeys — collecting data to generate new insights into the social challenges that people with autism face.

By Brendan Borrell
22 June 2016 | 23 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Neighboring mutations in gene may spawn separate conditions

Two seemingly similar mutations in the SHANK3 gene have divergent effects on the brain and behavior.

By Jessica Wright
25 January 2016 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Rodent learning sheds light on missed social cues in autism

Many people with autism have trouble interpreting and responding to social cues. Studying how rats learn from each other can provide insights into the human social brain, says Amiel Rosenkranz.

By Amiel Rosenkranz
28 July 2015 | 9 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Family of autism-linked proteins helps neurons communicate

The SHANK family of proteins, some of which are strong autism candidates, work together to facilitate brain signaling, according to unpublished results presented yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

By Jessica Wright
16 November 2014 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

SHANK3 mutations turn up in high proportion of autism cases

About 2 percent of people who have both autism and intellectual disability carry harmful mutations in SHANK3, a protein that helps organize the connections between neurons, according to a study published 4 September in PLoS Genetics.

By Jessica Wright
18 September 2014 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Drug fixes cellular defects in autism-related disorder

A new stem-cell model of Phelan-McDermid syndrome points to a possible treatment for the rare autism-related disorder, according to a study published in Nature.

By Virginia Hughes
2 December 2013 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Where will the focus on SHANK genes lead?

Geneticists react to discoveries and identify next steps for one of autism’s most promising candidate genes.

By Greg Boustead
11 November 2013 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

SHANK mutations converge at neuronal junctions in autism

SHANK3, one of the strongest candidate genes for autism, has the potential to be a molecular entry point into understanding the synaptic, developmental and circuit origins of the disorder.  

By Meera Modi, Michael Ehlers
5 November 2013 | 6 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Risk factors

To focus the search for environmental risk factors in autism, we should look for chemicals that influence the molecular pathways associated with candidate risk genes, say Pamela Lein and Marianna Stamou.

By Pamela Lein, Marianna Stamou
26 February 2013 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Psychedelics muddy fMRI results: Q&A with Adam Bauer and Jonah Padawer-Curry

The drugs disrupt the link between vascular and neuronal activity, which complicates interpretations of fMRI data. Adopting a more holistic view of what constitutes brain activity may help, the researchers say.

By Calli McMurray
29 October 2025 | 7 min read
Headshots of Philip Adeniyi, Samir Ahboucha, Willias Masoch and Daniel Gams Massi.

First Pan-African neuroscience journal gets ready to launch

With lower-than-average article processing fees, and issues dedicated to topics important to the continent, the journal hopes to give African neuroscience research much-needed international visibility.

By Lauren Schenkman
28 October 2025 | 5 min listen
Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.

New method identifies two-hit genetic variation in autism; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 27 October.

By Jill Adams
28 October 2025 | 2 min read

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