Op-ed: Research is the path toward solving the puzzle of Autism

Medicine is a mighty profession that has given an incalculable amount to the world. It is a field that is constantly evolving, and we have research – and the knowledge it uncovers - to thank for the constant contribution that medicine makes to our societies and our lives.

The power of medicine, the power to heal, stems from having a core understanding of diseases; an understanding that would not be possible without the findings of studies that, with every word, shed new light on them.

Despite the medical advancements that we have seen, and continue to see, in this era, the puzzles that exist in medicine are not yet completely solved. In fact, some are yet to be explored, and some remain with missing pieces for years until another research paper is published or breakthrough made, adding another piece to an indefinite puzzle.

Autism is one such medical puzzle that has garnered great attention in society. However, to this day, our understanding of Autism remains at the mercy of researchers. It was only in the 1900s that the existence of this puzzle was beginning to be comprehended; in fact, the word ‘Autism’ was only coined in 1911 to describe schizophrenic children who were found to be withdrawn and self-absorbed. People were scared of what might become of their children then, and even now we are still scared because of the uncertainty of its cause. Nobody knew why their child was behaving this way, and even know many questions remain unanswered.

In the search for a cause that explained the existence of Autism, theories were developed. One such early theory was that of “refrigerator mothers”, which led to mothers of children with Autism being accused of somehow causing the condition by being cold to them and not loving them enough. However, 10 years on, research began to look deeper and discover the role of genetics and brain development in Autism.

Autism perhaps reached peak awareness in 1998 with the start of the anti-vaccine movement. This emerged from one single research paper, one single piece of the puzzle, that has since been discredited and removed. Yet the image it formulated still lingers in the public eye, and to this day we still see its widespread effect. It demonstrates how research can come to be seen in a new light, with its impact expanding far beyond the interest of researchers and professionals. It becomes a necessity; a tool to satisfy the public’s desire for answers.

It is this search for answers in the field of Autism that led myself and my fellow Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar students Ameena Shafiq, Nada Mhaimeed, Mohammed Salameh, Zain Burney, and Krishnadev Pillai, to be part of a team that conducted a research project titled ‘Role of the Human Gut Microbiota in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. This is one of the first studies to look into gut microbiota in Qatar, which makes its results new and unique. We hope that the fact it won first prize in QNRF’s Undergraduate Research Experience Program is an indication that the results will also be valuable.

Throughout the world, we have been looking to piece together the puzzle of Autism for more than 100 years now. The power of research allows us to explore new paths that lead to a greater understanding of autism, including by looking into the gut-brain axis and the role of microbiota in this condition. More than 400 research papers on Autism have been published with the aim of finally answering society’s call for answers and treatments. Are we nearing the time when we finally solve this puzzle, or will our work and all the other research taking place in this field be simply another piece of it? Only time will tell.

The UREP-winning research project was led by Dr. Ghizlane Bendriss, lecturer in biology at WCM-Q, with fellow faculty members Dr. Dalia Zakaria and Dr. Noha Yousri also working alongside her and the six students.