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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: fragile X syndrome

October 2018
Illustration of research mice forming the letter 'X'.

Fragile X syndrome’s link to autism, explained

by  /  10 October 2018

Fragile X syndrome is a leading genetic cause of autism. People who have either condition often share certain traits, such as difficulties in social situations.

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Juan Pablo Quintero, Sara Quintero, Soledad Quintero, Rosario Quintero, Yeison Quintero, pose for a group portrait in Ricaurte, Valle del Cauca, on July 28, 2018.

Unlocking the secrets of fragile X in Colombia

by  /  10 October 2018

A remote Colombian town is home to the world’s largest cluster of people with fragile X syndrome. Scientists are learning from them — and trying to help.

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September 2018

Loss of large proteins underlies fragile X syndrome, study says

by  /  13 September 2018

The protein missing in fragile X syndrome, FMRP, facilitates the production of hundreds of unusually large proteins, some of which are linked to autism.

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Artwork shows a flock of birds flying inside the head of a boy.

How a ‘pacemaker’ for the brain could ease autism traits

by  /  4 September 2018

Looking at the brain as a whole suggests that nudging flawed sets of neurons to collaborate better might alleviate autism traits.

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July 2018

Conditions that accompany autism, explained

by  /  25 July 2018

More than half of people on the spectrum have four to five other conditions. Which conditions, and how and when they appear, varies from one autistic person to the next.

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June 2018
Week of JuneJun
25th
2018

Smart genes; Neanderthal mini-brains; diabetes link and more

by  /  29 June 2018

Autism and intelligence share genetic variants, researchers grow Neanderthal mini-brains and see overlap with autism, and maternal diabetes is an autism risk factor.

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May 2018
Microscopic image of skin cells

Study challenges theory that protein surplus underlies fragile X

by  /  16 May 2018

Many people with fragile X syndrome show average rates of protein production, challenging a long-held assumption about the condition.

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April 2018
Week of AprilApr
9th
2018

Fragile X checklist; France plays catch-up; bar-coded neurons and more

by  /  13 April 2018

A checklist for fragile X syndrome could help identify people with the condition in low-resource settings, France unveils a plan for early diagnosis and education of children with autism, and virally inserted ‘bar codes’ help track individual neurons.

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March 2018
Deleting DNA repeats from fragile X neurons restores expression (right, red) of the gene silenced in the syndrome.

CRISPR tweak fixes genetic flaw in fragile X syndrome

by  /  29 March 2018

A modified version of the genetic engineering tool CRISPR may restore expression of the gene mutated in fragile X syndrome.

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two people walking down dirt road in a town in colubmia

‘Founder effect’ may have fueled fragile X cluster in Colombian town

by  /  19 March 2018

A semirural Colombian town called Ricaurte is home to the largest recorded genetic cluster of people with mutations linked to fragile X syndrome.

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