MECP2

Recent articles

Research image of toxoplasma gondii showing cysts it creates as well as the MECP2 protein that it can deliver to neurons.

Parasite-based tool delivers MECP2 and other proteins to neurons

A method that uses a common brain parasite could help replenish the proteins deficient in Rett syndrome and other conditions.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
12 September 2024 | 4 min read

Autism-linked genes shape touch processing through different mechanisms, at different times

Whereas some mice display hypersensitivity to touch only as adults, others respond that way from birth.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
21 March 2024 | 5 min read
Research video of a zebrafish larva (zoomed in on the gut) being given glucose.

On the periphery: Thinking ‘outside the brain’ offers new ideas about autism

Neuronal alterations outside the brain may help to explain a host of the condition’s characteristic traits, including sensory changes, gut problems and motor differences.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
13 April 2023 | 20 min read
Drop of liquid medicine with air bubbles is dripping from a pipette on a light pink background.

FDA approval of trofinetide may spur further drug development for Rett

The drug, welcomed by patients, might be just the first of many.

By Shaena Montanari
16 March 2023 | 8 min listen
Illustration of a gloved hand reaching down to place a pill bottle on a pedestal.

Debut drug for Rett syndrome at edge of approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to make an approval decision on the first-ever drug for girls and women with Rett syndrome by 12 March.

By Shaena Montanari
2 March 2023 | 9 min read
Illustration of a sheet of red and white pills, with the red pills arranged in the form of a question mark.

Going on Trial: Orphan drugs; CBD; bumetanide

This month’s newsletter takes a close look at the orphan drug program in the United States, several cannabis-based therapies and a secondary analysis of bumetanide, among other new developments in autism-related drug trials.

By Peter Hess
28 February 2023 | 7 min read
Research image of cell bodies of rett-like neurons, some of which were treated with epigenome editors.

Epigenome edits unmute MECP2 in Rett-like neurons

The approach removes methyl tags from the gene and shields it from other silencing factors without changing the gene itself, raising hopes for a new treatment.

By Nora Bradford
16 February 2023 | 5 min read
Set of 6 scans shows mice recovering MECP2 protein in their brainstem after being treated with RNA-editing viruses.

RNA rewrite improves breathing, survival in Rett mice

The technique involves editing the cellular instructions to make MECP2 protein and partially restores its levels in the brainstem.

By Peter Hess
22 September 2022 | 5 min read

Portrait of a research field: astrocytes in autism

Long cast in supporting roles in the brain, astrocytes are now emerging as primary players in certain characteristics of autism and related conditions.

By Lauren Schenkman
14 July 2022 | 14 min read

Faulty inhibition foils long-term memory in Rett mice

The animals recall fear more readily if a set of inhibitory neurons in the hippocampus is switched on.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
11 April 2022 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Piggy bank with half of its body replaced by a brain.

Neuroscientists reeling from past cuts advocate for more BRAIN Initiative funding

The director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health calls BRAIN a “high priority” but acknowledges that difficult decisions lie ahead if federal budgets remain flat.

By Angie Voyles Askham
22 November 2024 | 5 min read
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‘Huge influx’ of neuroscientists migrates to Bluesky

Daily neuroscience-related posts on the social-media platform this week have increased more than 400 percent, on average, compared with October.

By Calli McMurray
21 November 2024 | 5 min read
Woman in a clinician's office.

Autism prevalence increasing in children, adults, according to electronic medical records

The uptick from 2011 to 2022 in the United States underscores a need for more services and research, the investigators say.

By Shaena Montanari
21 November 2024 | 2 min read