Hunt narrows in the search for autism gene

The worldwide search for the causes of autism is close to a decisive breakthrough, according to the British doctor at the forefront of the international investigation.

Dr Anthony Bailey, recently appointed the country's first professor of autism at Oxford University, believes the first of the genes responsible for the condition could be identified within two years. The development raises the prospect of an effective medical treatment for a disorder that leaves children trapped in a world of their own, struggling to relate to others.

Autism has become increasingly common, affecting one child in every 200, according to some estimates. The condition is now emerging as a major concern for schools and medical services.

It has been at the centre of a long-running political controversy amid claims that there may be evidence linking the single measles/ mumps/rubella vaccine for infants (MMR) with the condition. The result has been a drop in levels of childhood immunisation, while the medical authorities refuse to offer the three vaccines separately.

Although identifying the genes behind autism is not the same as discovering a cure, which may still be many years away, Dr Bailey describes it as the crucial step in understanding and conquering the disorder. "In terms of working out what's going wrong in the brain it's the key advance," he said. "If we can identify these genes we can work out what the proteins are that these genes code for.

"The first gene should be identified within the next two years. There's a fair amount of agreement about where to look." Autism, like heart disease, appears to be caused by a combination of factors, some of which may not be genetic. This makes the causes harder to track than in conditions such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anaemia.

But the breakthrough, when it comes, will revolutionise the hunt for treatments, allowing researchers to focus more accurately and work more quickly. It may also help doctors assess the chances of autism occurring in individual families.