Autism, sometimes referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD refers to a group of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by impaired social interaction, decreased verbal and non-verbal communication capabilities, and stereotypical repetitive behavior patterns.

In general, the symptoms are present within the first two to five years of life and persist into adulthood. While the severity of the symptoms varies widely among affected individuals, in most instances these disorders can lead to severe cognitive, communicative, and social disabilities, which can have a huge impact to the children and their families.

Yes, compared with autism overall, the MARA subtype tends to result in more severe characteristics, including an increased likelihood for an intellectual disability diagnosis. These individuals are likely to be non-verbal, and typically are unable to advocate for themselves.

MARA is an immune system-mediated subtype of autism that is currently estimated to represent approximately 20% of overall autism cases.

A variety of factors, both genetic and non-genetic, have been implicated in causing autism. Because autism is a spectrum, and the degree of severity varies considerably among those diagnosed, it is thought that there are multiple causes of autism.

There is a need for better diagnostic and prognostic tests that can identify children with autism at an earlier age, and tests that can identify children even before autism symptoms exist.

During the last decade, a dramatic rise in the incidence of autism in the western world has been observed. The recent estimates in the United States from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 1 in 36 children are currently diagnosed with some type of autism. The overall diagnosis of autism is more than diabetes, Down syndrome, and cancer combined.

Although part of this increase can be attributed to increased awareness of autism among pediatricians, other studies have indicated that the increase in the incidence cannot be completely attributed to increased diagnosis.

In autoimmune disorders, a person’s antibodies are directed against various building blocks of the body, like DNA, or directed against certain cells of the body, like neurons. These self-directed antibodies are called ‘autoantibodies’ and are a major contributor to the symptoms observed in autoimmune disorders.

During pregnancy, antibodies are passed from the mother to the developing fetus. These antibodies have a protective role, serving as a temporary immune system until the child’s own system matures during the first year of life.

If autoantibodies are present in maternal circulation, the fetus will receive them as well. Autoantibodies passed from the mother can react with important proteins in the body of the developing fetus. In some autoimmune disorders, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia gravis and Grave's disease, autoantibodies produced by the mother can have a negative effect on the developing fetus.

The MARAbio test is the first biology-based, actionable autism test for decision making use by parents and clinicians, and is initially being developed for biological mothers:

(i) of an autistic child and who is contemplating a subsequent pregnancy;

(ii) of a child who is at a high likelihood of an autism diagnosis (pre-symptomatic), thereby enabling interventions such as earlier intensive behavioral therapy.

(iii) of a child who fails to meet developmental milestones

No, until an intervention is available to block the effects of the MARA antibodies, MARAbio will only offer testing prior to conception or after a child is born. At this time, there are novel technologies available for the removal of harmful antibodies which we intend to adapt for MARA, so that we can assist women during pregnancy at some point in the future.