Iqra Mumal, MSc,  —

Using rapamycin to rein in an overactive mTOR cell signaling pathway isn’t an effective way to treat fragile X syndrome, a study in mice indicates. It showed that rapamycin does not reverse most behavioral characteristics of the disease, including learning and memory problems, susceptibility to seizure, and hyperactivity. And it made mice’s…

The fragile X mental retardation protein plays a role in the development of the hearing system, a study in mice reports. This could explain why people with fragile X syndrome, which is caused by the loss of the FMRP protein, are hypersensitive to sound, researchers said. In normal circumstances, the FMR1…

Children with the FMR1 premutation experience difficulties in processing sensory information, similar to those experienced by children with fragile x syndrome, a study shows. The study, “Sensory Difficulties in Children With an FMR1 Premutation,” was published in the journal Frontiers in Genetics. Fragile x syndrome (FXS) is caused…