When there are various long standing research group working on totally independent lines of attack as is the case for AIS, it does seem to suggest that there is more than one etiology.
But as that one researcher who summed up these various approaches started with, "it's all genetic."
I think if asked he would certainly add epigenetics as the best explanation so far for why identical twins are only ~75% concordant. I was shocked about how different identical twins could be on the genetic level in terms of gene copy numbers, different active X chromosomes in girls, etc. etc.. These observations seem like good starting points for nailing down the genetics. For example maybe when a particular region of certain genes is copied too many times a child develops AIS. Or too few times. Or some complex combination of different regions being copied different times.
The point is this is so complex that it may never be worked out beyond "its all genetic." Strong evidence that it is all genetic is the common worldwide AIS rate which also serves to remind folks how we are all more similar than we are different. Humans are extremely well mixed as a species. We are all African.
But as that one researcher who summed up these various approaches started with, "it's all genetic."
I think if asked he would certainly add epigenetics as the best explanation so far for why identical twins are only ~75% concordant. I was shocked about how different identical twins could be on the genetic level in terms of gene copy numbers, different active X chromosomes in girls, etc. etc.. These observations seem like good starting points for nailing down the genetics. For example maybe when a particular region of certain genes is copied too many times a child develops AIS. Or too few times. Or some complex combination of different regions being copied different times.
The point is this is so complex that it may never be worked out beyond "its all genetic." Strong evidence that it is all genetic is the common worldwide AIS rate which also serves to remind folks how we are all more similar than we are different. Humans are extremely well mixed as a species. We are all African.
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