Autism Genetic Resource Exchange
Encyclopedia
The Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) is a DNA
biobank funded by Autism Speaks
. It exists to provide DNA
specimens to geneticists who are researching autism
.
repository and family registry of genotypic and phenotypic information that is available to autism researchers worldwide. The AGRE was established in the 1990s by a predecessor organization, Cure Autism Now.
Cure Autism Now was a Los Angeles
-based non-profit organization
founded in 1995 by Jonathan Shestack and Portia Iversen, the parents of a child with autism whose story is told in the book Strange Son
. It was an organization of parents, doctors and scientists devoted to research to prevent, treat and cure autism. In 1997 Cure Autism Now established AGRE despite initial resistance from scientists to begin a project which conflicted with existing practices.
of individuals with autism-related genes, representing 2000 families and 10000 individuals. To do this, AGRE will provide specimens to the Beijing Genomics Institute
, who will perform the sequencing.
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
biobank funded by Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is the world's largest autism advocacy organization that sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families, governments, and the public. It was founded in February 2005 by Bob Wright, vice chairman of General Electric, and by his wife Suzanne, a...
. It exists to provide DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
specimens to geneticists who are researching autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
.
History
Autism Speaks funds the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE), a DNADNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
repository and family registry of genotypic and phenotypic information that is available to autism researchers worldwide. The AGRE was established in the 1990s by a predecessor organization, Cure Autism Now.
Cure Autism Now was a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
founded in 1995 by Jonathan Shestack and Portia Iversen, the parents of a child with autism whose story is told in the book Strange Son
Strange Son
Strange Son: Two Mothers, Two Sons, and the Quest to Unlock the Hidden World of Autism is a non-fiction book that follows the story of Portia Iversen's second son who initially appeared to be developing normally, but started to have autistic characteristics by the age of two...
. It was an organization of parents, doctors and scientists devoted to research to prevent, treat and cure autism. In 1997 Cure Autism Now established AGRE despite initial resistance from scientists to begin a project which conflicted with existing practices.
Projects
In October 2011 AGRE announced a plan to create the world's largest library of sequenced human genomesHuman genome
The human genome is the genome of Homo sapiens, which is stored on 23 chromosome pairs plus the small mitochondrial DNA. 22 of the 23 chromosomes are autosomal chromosome pairs, while the remaining pair is sex-determining...
of individuals with autism-related genes, representing 2000 families and 10000 individuals. To do this, AGRE will provide specimens to the Beijing Genomics Institute
Beijing Genomics Institute
BGI , known as the Beijing Genomics Institute prior to 2008, is one of the world’s premier genome sequencing centers. Its sequencing output is expected to soon surpass the equivalent of more than 15,000 human genomes per year....
, who will perform the sequencing.