Autism drug discovery could hinge on protein interaction maps

UCSF researchers built a molecular map linking 100 autism-risk genes to about 1,800 protein interactions, most previously unreported, and used AlphaFold to pinpoint direct connections. They found a FOXP1-FOXP4 interaction that drives autism-like traits in human organoids, suggesting a new drug-discovery blueprint—targeting protein networks rather than genes alone—to identify potential therapies, with potential pathways for industry collaboration.