Researchers plan to develop pig models of Prader-Willi syndrome, an inherited disorder caused by the deletion of an autism-linked region of chromosome 15.

Researchers are beginning to tease apart how dosage of genes within the 15q11-13 chromosomal region contributes to autism symptoms.

Concerned by researchers’ lack of access to a valuable mouse model of autism, a nonprofit advocacy group is dedicating a chunk of its limited resources to the creation of a freely available version.

Delicate dosage issues are just one complication of developing gene therapy for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Mice lacking a functional copy of UBE3A, the gene missing or mutated in people with the rare developmental disorder Angelman syndrome, show less inhibitory activity than controls do, according to research published 7 June in Neuron.

A high intelligence quotient, a good understanding of social skills, and aggressiveness may all contribute to anxiety in children with autism, according to a study published 14 March in The Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Two studies report abnormalities in the system that mediates the body’s response to stress in two mouse models of autism-related diseases: Angelman syndrome and Rett syndrome. The results were published in the April issue of Human Molecular Genetics.

A cancer drug shows promise as a treatment for Angelman syndrome, according to a study published today in Nature.

Duplication or deletion of four genes within a large chromosomal region linked to Angelman syndrome and autism could lead to developmental disability or language delay, according to a study published in the October issue of Human Genetics.

Researchers have identified a compound that shows promise as a treatment for Angelman syndrome, a developmental disorder related to autism. The unpublished results were presented Tuesday at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.