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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: Rett syndrome

January 2021

Method may improve safety of gene therapies targeting the brain

by  /  28 January 2021

A new approach for delivering gene therapy to the brain reduces nerve damage in primates and could help make gene therapies for conditions related to autism safer.

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DNMT3A protein attaches a methyl group tag onto the DNA base cytosine.

Autism-related conditions converge on same loss of DNA tags

by  /  20 January 2021

Mutations in the autism-linked gene DNMT3A lead to the behaviors and gene-expression changes seen in different neurodevelopmental conditions.

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Mouse with her pup

Malfunctioning neurons mute sound processing in mouse model of Rett syndrome

by  /  14 January 2021

Female mice missing a copy of the autism-linked gene MECP2 in a specific set of inhibitory neurons have a hard time heeding pups’ calls and herding litters.

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Two mice in a rotarod machine

Mouse study sounds note of caution for Rett syndrome therapies

by  /  13 January 2021

Treatments for Rett syndrome that aim to boost levels of the protein MECP2 may not help everyone with the condition.

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December 2020
researcher facing off with the coronavirus.

Rewind: Spectrum’s best from 2020

by  /  23 December 2020

Our staff picks the stories, podcasts and special reports that stood out from the rest this past year.

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October 2020
Ralf Schmid, the research director in Neurodevelopmental diseases at the Gene Therapy Program Orphan Disease Center, loads replicated mouse dna into wells in the gel before applying electric current to test the viability of the dna.

A quest for Quincy: Gene therapies come of age for some forms of autism

by ,  /  14 October 2020

A gene therapy for Angelman syndrome stands at the forefront of efforts to treat autism-linked conditions that stem from single genes.

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September 2020
Illustration of a neuron on top of a marijuana leaf surrounded by psychadelic colors.

Cannabis and autism, explained

by  /  7 September 2020

Autistic people and their families are increasingly experimenting with marijuana to try to ease problems such as insomnia, epilepsy and chronic pain — and traits of autism. But there is little evidence for its safety or effectiveness.

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August 2020
Series of micrographs showing neurons with Rett syndrome mutations lacking liquid compartments around DNA.

DNA droplets may be key to Rett syndrome, researchers say

by  /  27 August 2020

Mutations in the MECP2 gene, which are associated with autism and Rett syndrome, interfere with a cell’s ability to form droplets of DNA that silence gene expression.

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December 2019

Five hot topics in autism research in 2019

by  /  23 December 2019

This year’s hot topics in autism research center around brain organoids, heart rate, the gut microbiome, treatment timing and early detection.

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October 2019

Gene-edited marmosets may mimic Rett syndrome traits

by  /  23 October 2019

Researchers have used the gene-editing tool CRISPR to disable the MECP2 gene in marmoset embryos. The six such marmosets created seem to recapitulate aspects of Rett syndrome.

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