Doctors Reverse With Drugs Autism-Linked Fragile X Syndrome In Mice 63
An anonymous reader writes "New research by a team of Bangalore-based scientists has given hope to those with emotional problems caused by the inheritance of a fragile X chromosome. The researchers, for the first time in the world, mapped defective connections between nerve cells in the emotional hub of the brain of mice who had Fragile X Syndrome. The research has just been published in the online edition of the US-based Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences." Besides the mapping of these nerves, though, "The NCBS team has shown that even the long-term ravages of the condition could be reversed with medication in mice." Fragile X syndrome is associated with autism, though the conditions do not map directly to each other.
everyone from India? cure for slashdoters? (Score:2, Interesting)
1. Aparna Suvrathan a,
2. Charles A. Hoeffer b,
3. Helen Wong b,
4. Eric Klann b, and
5. Sumantra Chattarji a,1
- Author Affiliations
a National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore 560065, India; and
b Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003
These are lab findings in cells of knock out mice and indicate that the process may be still amenable to pharmaceuticals. All you Asperger's at /. keep this in mind!
Misleading headline, "mapped"=/="reversed" (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:What Is Your Point? (Score:4, Interesting)
Perhaps more to the point, if a cure works in the 20% of sufferers who's condition includes X and you are in that 20%, it's great news. It is unfortunate that it doesn't help the other 80%, but it';s not like that makes it a failure.
Sweet. (Score:4, Interesting)
My oldest son has Fragile X and is diagnosed in the Autism spectrum. It's an incredibly impairing disability, and I'll be asking his doctor to keep on eye on the clinical trials.
On a side note, as well voiced thus far, what headline is the hell up with what is there? For cryin' out loud.