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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: MECP2

June 2017

Family groups play key role in advancing autism research

by  /  27 June 2017

Families need more support from researchers in order for their heroic efforts to be optimally effective.

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Mutant monkeys mimic features of autism, Rett syndrome

by  /  19 June 2017

Monkeys with a mutation in the Rett syndrome gene, MeCP2, have social difficulties and repetitive behaviors.

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March 2017
Week of MarchMar
27th
2017

Brexit blues; judgment call; honor roll

by  /  31 March 2017

Scientists in the United Kingdom react to the reality of Brexit, a U.S. Supreme Court nominee apologizes for ruling against the family of a boy with autism, and a Rett syndrome researcher is racking up awards.

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Muting X chromosome silencers may serve as remedy for Rett

by  /  30 March 2017

Manipulating pathways that help silence the X chromosome may help treat Rett syndrome, a condition closely related to autism.

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Four white mice bike ahead of a white rat, who is juggling on a unicycle; suggesting that rats can do more for research than mice.

Meet the newest contestant in the scientific rat race

by  /  15 March 2017

Mice have long been the mainstay of autism research, but a small group of scientists say rats are the superior choice. Rats are bigger, smarter, friendlier — and a lot more fun.

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Questions for Huda Zoghbi: Studying Rett in the rodent brain

by  /  14 March 2017

Removing the Rett syndrome gene, MeCP2, from distinct cells and brain regions reveals hidden features of the condition.

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illustration of person with autism struggling with addiction

Autism’s hidden habit

by  /  1 March 2017

Conventional wisdom holds that people with autism don’t get hooked on alcohol or other drugs, but new evidence suggests otherwise.

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January 2017

Sound processing skewed in mouse model of Rett syndrome

by  /  27 January 2017

Researchers have traced an unusual maternal behavior in female mice modeling Rett syndrome to a neural circuit that processes sound. They have also found a drug that reverses this behavior.

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December 2016

Notable papers of 2016

by  /  26 December 2016

Our picks for the top 10 papers of the year highlight leaps in our understanding of autism, as well as lingering gaps.

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November 2016

Extra dose of Rett syndrome gene alters brain waves in monkeys

by  /  16 November 2016

Monkeys with multiple copies of the gene MeCP2 have irregular brain waves similar to those seen in some children with autism.

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