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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: FMRP

September 2023
Research image of neurons in mice.

Skewed signaling in striatum may spawn repetitive behaviors

by  /  6 September 2023

Synaptic changes in the brain region could drive a core trait of fragile X syndrome, a new mouse study suggests.

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August 2023
Research images of protein synthesis in mice.

Neuronal deafness to stress may add to protein surplus in fragile X

by  /  29 August 2023

A protective pathway that pauses protein synthesis is muted in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome, according to a new study.

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July 2023
Illustration of a fragile X syndrome chromosome.

New gene-editing method flags fragile X mutation for repair

by  /  5 July 2023

The approach prompts cultured cells to correct the genetic mutation in fragile X syndrome using their own DNA repair system, but it still needs to be tested further.

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February 2023
an image of a neuron

Neurons struggle to spike without fragile X gene

by  /  17 February 2023

FMR1 loss impairs sodium channels, hindering mouse neurons from generating the electrical signals needed to transmit information.

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January 2023
Research image showing neuronal activity in mice exposed to high-frequency sounds.

Missing mechanism helps solve fragile X protein mystery

by  /  24 January 2023

Cells from people with fragile X syndrome overproduce — but don’t accumulate — proteins. New work suggests that excessive protein breakdown may account for this discrepancy, and explain some of the syndrome’s traits.

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September 2022
Brain slice of a mouse brain showing cells carrying the fragile X mutation.

Fragile X neurons develop atypically in chimeric mice

by  /  29 September 2022

After a brain transplant of reprogrammed human cells, the animals can for the first time recapitulate some neuronal changes seen in people with fragile X syndrome.

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Illustration of a binocular microscope with an X Chromosome in one eyepiece and cancer cells in the other.

The cloudy connection between fragile X and cancer

by  /  28 September 2022

People with the autism-linked syndrome lack a protein implicated in several cancers, but it’s unclear whether — or how — they are protected from malignancies.

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A brown lab mouse perches on a researcher's hand.

Largest-yet fragile X mutation in mice confirms model’s shortcomings

by  /  14 September 2022

A 341-repeat mutation from a person with fragile X does not lead to the syndrome’s traits or function the same way in mice, highlighting a need for different animal models.

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July 2022

Plethora of protein-making machines in neurons may underlie fragile X

by  /  21 July 2022

An overabundance of ribosomes drives an imbalance of proteins produced from long and short genetic transcripts in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome.

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Illustration shows calcium signaling astrocytes, which are star-shaped and change color from light blue to purple.

Portrait of a research field: astrocytes in autism

by  /  14 July 2022

Long cast in supporting roles in the brain, astrocytes are now emerging as primary players in certain characteristics of autism and related conditions.

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