Treatments

Two agency letters put California-based Liveyon on warning and alert the public to the risks associated with stem-cell based therapies for autism.

The drug popularly known as ecstasy may boost sociability through brain circuits distinct from that underlying its ‘high.’

A mix of two drugs eases hypersensitivity to noise in mice missing an autism gene — offering the promise of a similar treatment for autistic people.

Blocking one form of an enzyme implicated in autism eases unusual behaviors and seizures in mice missing a top autism gene.

Special diets that eliminate certain foods or contain added supplements have minimal impact on autism traits, according to a review of 27 clinical trials.

An experimental drug tamps down the expression of a gene duplicated in an autism-related condition and restores typical behavior in mice.

A single dose of cannabidiol, a component of marijuana, eases seizures and improves learning and sociability in mice with mutations in an autism gene called CDKL5.

Drug after drug has failed in clinical trials for fragile X syndrome. A new study provides an explanation — a decrease in the drugs’ effectiveness over time — and points to a new strategy that could circumvent this problem.