Fragile X syndrome testing will now be available for newborns in North Carolina by way of a new study led by RTI International to research the disease’s prevalence and the benefits of early treatment. Called Early Check, the free-screening study is designed to identify children with rare health…
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#NORDSummit – Major Issues on Table for Rare Disease Patients in US as Midterm Elections Approach
With the U.S. midterm elections now less than two weeks away, patient advocacy groups are solidly focused on a range of hot-button issues, from the Orphan Drug Tax Credit and affordable health insurance to future funding for rare disease research. Yet “whether Democrats take over the House or Senate,…
Altered calcium levels and poorly regulated activity in specific calcium channels in nerve cells could underlie fragile X syndrome (FXS) and be used as a diagnostic and treatment biomarker, according to a new study. The research, “New Insights Into the Role of Cav2 Protein Family in Calcium…
Social anxiety and autistic traits are prevalent in males with fragile X syndrome and these behaviors overlap with those observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without a known genetic syndrome, a study reports. The overlap of traits between the two clinical subgroups makes their measurement extremely challenging, researchers…
Medicine that regulates cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling can help correct defects in processing of sensory information in a fruit fly model of fragile X syndrome, a new study shows. The study, “Stress Odorant Sensory Response Dysfunction in Drosophila Fragile X Syndrome Mutants,” was published in the journal Frontiers in…
The 3D folding of the genome is distorted in fragile X syndrome and other closely related neurological conditions, according to researchers from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). “We’re tremendously excited to examine whether and how the 3D genome misfolding in Fragile X syndrome is causally linked to the…
Half a year has gone by since disgraced pharma executive Martin Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for securities and wire fraud while heading San Diego-based Retrophin. As founder and CEO of another company (then known as Turing Pharmaceuticals), in late 2015 Shkreli bought the rights…
Visual perception impairments in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome can be therapeutically targeted using designer therapies, according to a new study. People with fragile X demonstrate similar visual impairments, suggesting that these specific therapies could be used to treat them. The study, “Impaired perceptual learning in a mouse…
Lovastatin, a medication widely prescribed for lowering cholesterol, was recently discovered to correct brain deficits linked with fragile X syndrome in mouse models of the disease. The finding prompted clinical trials to test if this statin might help people with the…
Weekly infusions with allopregnanolone, a natural brain steroid, for up to 12 weeks may help enhance levels of the GABA neurotransmitter and improve cognitive outcomes in patients with fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome, a small study suggests. The study, “Allopregnanolone Treatment Improves Plasma Metabolomic Profile Associated with GABA Metabolism in…
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