Fragile X/Autism symptoms reversed in mice.

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The causes of autism remain largely shrouded in mystery, but there are some types of the disorder that can be traced to specific gene defects. The most common of these — responsible for roughly 5% of autism cases — is a flaw in the X chromosome that causes a condition known as Fragile X Syndrome. Because the defect has been studied on a molecular level, it provides a unique window into understanding autism — and treating it. And that is why a paper published in this week's issue of the journal Neuron is bound to generate excitement, even though the work was done in rodents. It shows that wide-ranging symptoms of Fragile X, which include epilepsy, impaired mental functioning, aberrant brain structure and other abnormalities, can be reversed. The work, researchers say, holds enormous promise for humans with Fragile X and probably for other forms of autism as well.
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"We were able to correct the excesses [of Fragile X], taking our foot off the accelerator."

What was especially remarkable was the number of ways the intervention reversed Fragile X symptoms. The specially bred mice had fewer seizures, more normal brain structure, a more typical rate of body growth and they performed better on a learning task than mice with uncorrected Fragile X. The experiment suggests that treating Fragile X with a drug that inhibits mGR5 receptors could have similarly healing effects.

"This gives the whole field of autism a lot of hope for targeted treatments that can be beneficial," says Dr. Randi Hagerman, medical director of the MIND Institute and director of the Fragile X Research and Treatment Center at the University of California, Davis. "It's likely that the mGR5 pathway may be involved in other kinds of autism," she says. That means that a drug that works on this pathway could have broad application in treating autism.

How the hell you can tell that a freaking MOUSE has Autism is beyond me.

How the hell you can tell that a freaking MOUSE has Autism is beyond me.

It spins things and doesn't relate well to other mice.

Nej, tak.

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That sounds rather swedish to me.


.., anyway, It does seem really interesting, but more like they are trying to get rid of autism all together, where will the diversity be?
The other question here is whether this is the same with humans.