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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: stem cells

April 2013

Clinical research: Rett symptoms emerge early, gradually

by  /  12 April 2013

The onset of Rett syndrome, which is marked by the sudden loss of speech and motor skills, is more gradual than previously believed, according to two studies published in the past few months.

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March 2013

Promise and pitfalls of induced stem cells for autism

by ,  /  26 March 2013

Induced pluripotent stem cells, which have the ability to become any cell type, including neurons, offer a powerful way to study neuropsychiatric disorders. But for this approach to reach its full potential, researchers must first address several challenges, such as variability between cell lines, say Flora Vaccarino and Jessica Mariani.

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Rho family of enzymes at crossroads of autism

by  /  12 March 2013

A number of autism risk factors converge on one cellular pathway: abnormal remodeling of the cell’s structural systems through the signaling protein Rho, says SFARI’s associate director for research, Alan Packer.

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January 2013

Mouse stem cells enable study of Rett syndrome

by  /  23 January 2013

Researchers have made neurons from the skin cells of mice that model Rett syndrome, according to a study published in the December issue Molecular Psychiatry.

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December 2012

Genetics: DNA modification marks autism genes

by  /  12 December 2012

A newly discovered DNA modification may play a role in development and regulate the expression of genes linked to fragile X syndrome and autism, according to a study published 5 October in Human Molecular Genetics.

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What does a genetic mosaic tell us?

by  /  10 December 2012

New work suggests that the skin, a common source for deriving induced pluripotent stem cells, is a genetic mosaic. What does this mean for stem cell research? Are there implications for the human brain?

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Study allays fears about usefulness of induced stem cells

by  /  6 December 2012

Some of the genetic variability seen in stem cells derived from skin arises from differences in the skin cells themselves, according to a study published 18 November in Nature. The findings have implications for both stem cell research and our understanding of human biology.

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November 2012

Molecular mechanisms: Gene expression differs in autism

by  /  20 November 2012

The brains of individuals with autism express low levels of genes involved in metabolism and protein assembly, according to a postmortem study published 12 September in PLoS One.

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October 2012

Stem cells reveal genes that have parental bias

by  /  31 October 2012

Researchers have used stem cells to identify 801 neuronal genes that are preferentially expressed from either the maternal or paternal chromosome, according to a study published 30 August in PLoS One. Of these genes, 26 are linked to autism and 48 to schizophrenia. 

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Drug zone

by  /  26 October 2012

Rodent and stem cell models remain challenging for developing psychiatric drugs, says Michael Ehlers, chief scientific officer of neuroscience at Pfizer.

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