Fixing the gene that’s faulty in Angelman syndrome ameliorates anxiety and motor deficits in a mouse model of the disorder, but only if done early in life.

A convoy of miniature plastic rafts boosts the survival of lab-grown neurons, using a new method that could help autism researchers easily grow many thousands of cells at once.

An acne drug, a dietary supplement and a failed sleeping aid each show promise for Angelman syndrome, according to unpublished results presented Tuesday at a meeting.

A new technique allows scientists to turn on the expression of any gene, giving them the unprecedented ability to explore the function of every gene in the human genome.

Small pieces of RNA restore the expression of a key gene missing in Angelman syndrome and offer the promise of a highly specific cure, researchers reported Monday in Nature.

Varying the number of copies of a single autism-linked gene modulates social behavior and aggression in mice, according to unpublished results presented yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Mice with an extra copy of the autism-linked gene UBE3A show abnormal social behavior after experiencing recurrent seizures. The findings, presented Tuesday at the Autism Consortium Research Symposium in Boston, provide one possible explanation for why seizures and autism often go hand in hand.

Drugs that activate the silent copy of the X chromosome in women may be able to undo the damage from mutations in genes located there. The study, published 2 September in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offers hope for treating Rett syndrome and other disorders linked to the chromosome.

Neurologist Lawrence Reiter is growing neurons from the discarded teeth of children with neurological syndromes. Here he describes how dental pulp may help researchers find the genes and pathways that underlie autism symptoms.

Drugs designed to treat Angelman syndrome may alleviate symptoms only if given during a ‘critical period’ early in development. That’s the upshot from unpublished results presented yesterday at a conference in Boston.