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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: mouse models

August 2013

New genetic background elicits aggression in mouse model

by  /  21 August 2013

Mice lacking neurexin-1, an autism-linked protein that helps stabilize the junctions between neurons, are highly aggressive, according to a study published 28 June in PLoS One. These mice share a consistent genetic background, which may account for this being the first social deficit seen in mice lacking this protein. 

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Abnormal brain immune cells: Autism’s cause or result?

by  /  19 August 2013

Mounting evidence finds abnormally high levels of immune cells in the brains of people with autism. But how do we separate cause from effect?

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Brain’s immune cells show intriguing links to autism

by  /  13 August 2013

Emerging evidence indicates that microglia, the brain’s immune cells, are altered in some individuals with autism, raising questions about their role in brain development, says Beth Stevens.

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Genetics: Network analysis identifies autism pathways

by  /  6 August 2013

Although thousands of candidate genes are linked to autism, many function together in just a few common pathways, according to a network analysis published in the June issue of PLoS Genetics. 

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July 2013

Molecular mechanisms: Rett gene forms bridge to DNA

by  /  16 July 2013

Mutations in MeCP2, the Rett syndrome gene, prevent changes to DNA that dampen gene expression, according to two studies published 16 June in Nature and Nature Neuroscience. 

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Cognition and behavior: Bacteria make germ-free mice social

by  /  12 July 2013

Introducing gut bacteria to mice that lack them increases their sociability, but mainly with familiar mice, reports a study published 21 May in Molecular Psychiatry.

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Visualization of a DNA sequence.

Study catalogs features of Phelan-McDermid syndrome

by  /  11 July 2013

The majority of people lacking a functional copy of the SHANK3 gene have both autism and severe intellectual disability, according to a study published 11 June in Molecular Autism.

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Molecular mechanisms: Rett syndrome gene levels are crucial

by  /  2 July 2013

A boost in the levels of MeCP2, the gene implicated in Rett syndrome, makes mice more susceptible to seizures and subtly alters their neurons, according to a study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

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June 2013

Researchers reveal obsession circuits in the brain

by  /  27 June 2013

Researchers can shut down or trigger compulsive behaviors in mice by using light to target certain brain circuits, according to two studies published 7 June in Science.

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Clinical research: Growth factor treats autism mouse model

by  /  21 June 2013

Insulin-like growth factor 1, a drug approved for use in children with short stature, reverses neurological deficits in mice with an autism-linked mutation in the SHANK3 gene, according to a study published 27 April in Molecular Autism. 

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