Researchers in Japan have completed the first step in creating transgenic monkey models of autism, according to a poster presented Wednesday at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans.

Individuals with an extra copy of MeCP2, the gene mutated in Rett syndrome, have severe developmental delay accompanied by seizures, respiratory infections, poor motor skills and features of autism, according to two new case studies.

Mouse studies of a promising treatment for Rett syndrome, already in clinical trials, offer a note of caution about the drug’s potential. Preliminary findings from the research, presented Sunday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in New Orleans, show why mouse work remains important even after clinical trials are underway.

Mutations in the CDKL5 gene lead to developmental delay starting at birth, seizures that begin before 3 months of age, and subtly atypical facial features, according to a study published 8 August in the European Journal of Human Genetics.

MeCP2, the gene mutated in people with Rett syndrome, may regulate rates of RNA production in developing neurons, according to a study published 3 August in Stem Cells.

A gene linked to some types of Rett syndrome is needed for the stability of connections between neurons, according to research published 4 September in Nature Cell Biology.

Deleting the Rett syndrome gene from mature mouse brains leads to the same neurological and behavioral symptoms as deleting it during a key developmental stage, according to a study published 18 July in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Seven individuals who have the symptoms of Rett syndrome carry a genetic disruption near, or overlapping with, the FOXG1 gene, according to a report published 27 June in the European Journal of Human Genetics.

SAGE Labs has announced a new partnership with the autism science and advocacy organization Autism Speaks to fund the creation of three new rat models of autism.

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