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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: stem cells

July 2022

New resource maps gene expression, regulation in neuron subtypes

by  /  1 July 2022

The catalog could help researchers understand the effects of autism-linked DNA variants that fall outside genes.

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May 2022

Organoids hint at origins of enlarged brains in autistic people

by  /  13 May 2022

The size of the cerebral cortex seems to depend on when neural progenitor cells multiply or differentiate into glial cells and neurons.

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March 2022

New human neuron assays set stage for high-throughput autism drug screens

by  /  22 March 2022

The ability to conduct large-scale screening in human neurons could accelerate the discovery of autism treatments.

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December 2021
Gloved hands holding bag of placental cord blood containing stem cells.

‘Pay-to-participate’ autism stem-cells paper retracted

by  /  2 December 2021

One family paid more than $7,000 for their child to participate in a small clinical trial in Panama. The trial’s lead author did not disclose that detail.

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November 2021
Stylized illustration combines flat color and 3D forms make up a mitochondria with human heads inside it.

Meet the ‘mitomaniacs’ who say mitochondria matter in autism

by  /  22 November 2021

Clues that problems with mitochondria contribute to autism have been accumulating for decades. In the past five years, a mutant mouse and a flurry of findings have energized the field.

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Including immune cells in brain organoids improves model’s accuracy

by  /  15 November 2021

Cortical organoids that contain non-neuronal brain cells called microglia may reflect human neurodevelopment more faithfully than those that don’t.

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May 2021
Microglia activity seen in red, green and blue.

Autism mutation may cause big brain via ‘don’t eat me’ signals

by  /  17 May 2021

An autism-linked mutation could make the brain grow unusually large by prompting cells to express a chemical signal better known for its connection to cancer.

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March 2021
A digital rendering of a green neuron on black

Brain activity jump-starts autism-linked genes in human neurons

by  /  5 March 2021

Some neurons activate autism-linked genes when they fire, according to a new study.

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January 2021
In cortical-striatal assembloids, striatal neurons (magenta) derived from individuals with Phelan-McDermid syndrome fire more frequently than neurons from controls.

Brain ‘assembloids’ capture circuit flaws in syndrome tied to autism

by  /  21 January 2021

Merging 3D clusters of neurons that mimic different brain regions models the atypical electrical activity seen in an autism-related condition.

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New gene therapy methods deliver promise

by  /  14 January 2021

Two unpublished studies detail improved techniques for delivering gene therapies to the brain.

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