First-Ever Blood Test Diagnoses Maternal Autoantibody Related Autism

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 10 Oct 2024

Image: The simple blood test will identify the likelihood of a woman having a child with autism (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Image: The simple blood test will identify the likelihood of a woman having a child with autism (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Maternal Autoantibody Related Autism (MARA) is a subtype of autism linked to the presence of specific autoantibodies in a mother. The identification of MARA marks a significant breakthrough in the early, even pre-symptomatic, detection of autism in children. MARA has been associated with more severe forms of autism and is estimated to account for about 20% of all autism cases. Now, a groundbreaking blood test can accurately determine whether a woman carries the autoantibodies responsible for MARA. This test can be used to diagnose MARA in children at birth or even predict its likelihood before pregnancy.

MARAbio Systems (Salt Lake City, UT, USA) has created precision technology capable of predicting a child's likelihood of having MARA through a simple maternal blood test, even before symptoms emerge or before pregnancy. The MARAbio test measures up to eight specific autoantibodies, and their combinations, that are linked to a form of autism affecting nearly 20% of diagnosed cases. This test allows for the detection of the MARA subtype of autism in a child before symptom onset and can also aid in diagnosing MARA in children with developmental delays. Additionally, it can be used by women at higher risk before pregnancy to assess their likelihood of having a child with MARA-related autism.

The MARAbio test offers the potential to accelerate the diagnosis of autism and the initiation of therapy for children born to mothers who test positive. Early behavioral intervention is known to improve the quality of life for individuals with autism, and identifying the MARA subtype may enable therapists to customize intervention strategies for better outcomes. The test can also be useful for pre-pregnancy screening in high-risk women and may support the development of therapeutic approaches to reduce the risk of having a child with MARA.

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