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(KSL News) -- Utah families are about to participate in the largest study ever conducted to find a genetic link for Autism.
Over the next six months, about 170 of the world's leading scientists will pool their resources in a massive search to find possible genes associated with the disease.
University of Utah geneticists will join their colleagues at 50 other medical centers, analyzing about 6,000 samples of DNA from more than 1500 families.
The causes or triggers for Autism continue to elude researchers. The childhood disorder has increased from four in 10,000 births in the early 90's to a sobering one in every 166 births now.
The National Alliance for Autism Research hopes results of the study will help doctors find a way to biologically diagnose and treat the disease at a very early age.
