Autism and Cancer Share Risk Genes, Pathways, and Drug Targets

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, diagnosed behaviorally by social and communication deficits, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. Recent genome-wide exome sequencing has revealed extensive overlap in risk genes for autism and for cancer. Understanding the genetic commonalities of autism(s) and cancer(s), with a focus on mechanistic pathways, could lead to repurposed therapeutics.