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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: clinical trials

December 2011

New scheme ramps up efforts to aggregate autism data

by  /  19 December 2011

The nation’s largest database of autism research is about to get even bigger, thanks to a partnership between the National Database for Autism Research, a repository of data from 25,000 participants, and the Autism Genetic Research Exchange, a database of 2,500 families.

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Pharma’s shift

by  /  13 December 2011

Swiss drugmaker Novartis plans to close its neuroscience research facility in Switzerland, but research on fragile X drugs will continue.

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November 2011

Video: New European project aims to speed drug research

by  /  13 November 2011

Declan Murphy talks to SFARI.org about a new European project intended to stimulate development of autism drugs.

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Vision problems in Rett syndrome could serve as biomarker

by  /  13 November 2011

Mice missing the Rett syndrome gene MeCP2 show a gradual decline in vision, and too much inhibitory signaling in the visual cortex, according to unpublished research presented Thursday in Washington, D.C.

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Base hits

by  /  11 November 2011

A panel of heavyweights from pharmaceutical companies and funding organizations painted a pessimistic picture for the future of autism drugs.

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Fred Volkmar: A decades-long perspective on autism research

by  /  8 November 2011

Over the past 30 years, autism research pioneer Fred Volkmar says he has learned that researchers should be humble when assigning meaning to autism behavior, and seek to translate their findings into useful applications.  

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October 2011

Growth factor improves autism symptoms in mice

by  /  19 October 2011

Mice lacking a copy of SHANK3, a gene associated with autism and intellectual disability, show marked improvements in brain signaling after being treated with insulin-like growth factor 1, according to unpublished findings presented Saturday at the International Congress of Human Genetics in Montreal, Canada.

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August 2011

Fair representation for the fairer sex in autism research

by  /  16 August 2011

Including more females in autism research studies will aid the search for genetic and environmental susceptibility factors for the disorder, says genetic psychiatrist Lauren Weiss.

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Clinical research: Drug increases communication while rats play

by  /  5 August 2011

Giving GLYX-13, a drug that targets an autism-associated brain pathway, to rats bred to be less social increases how much they communicate while playing.

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July 2011

Mouse study raises questions about fragile X treatment

by  /  18 July 2011

Blocking a chemical messenger — a much-touted approach to treating fragile X syndrome — is unlikely to completely reverse symptoms of the disorder, according to a provocative new study. The results, published in May in Behavioural Brain Research, show only modest behavioral improvements with the approach.

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