Israeli researchers have detected an imbalance in the brain that is reportedly linked to autism. The potentially groundbreaking study, which was published in the Advanced Science Journal on Monday, identified a connection between high levels of nitric oxide in the brain and autism.

"This is the first time that a laboratory succeeds in discovering and proving an actual connection between an increase in the concentration of nitric oxide in the brain and autistic behavior, and vice versa," said Prof Haitham Amal of Hebrew University's Institute for Drug Research at Amal Lab.

Amal's research team also found that a reduction in nitric oxide levels resulted in a significant improvement in the frequency of neurological cases.

"I am hopeful that the new discovery and understanding of this mechanism will lead to a real possibility of developing a cure for autism," she said.

Despite its tiny size, the Jewish state has contributed disproportionately in the field of medical research.

In March, a team of Israeli researchers discovered a method to potentially offer a cure for pancreatic cancer, which is recognized as one of the most lethal forms of cancer in the Western world.

This article originally appeared on All Israel News and is reposted with permission.