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Recent articles

Illustration of ketamine blocking open ion channels in active NMDA receptors, quieting the cells and disrupting downstream signaling involved in depression.

Ketamine targets lateral habenula, setting off cascade of antidepressant effects

The drug’s affinity for overactive cells in the “anti-reward” region may help explain its rapid and long-lasting results.

By Olivia Gieger
4 September 2024 | 6 min read
Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results

Null and Noteworthy: Pregnancy factors, household language, toddler tests

In this edition of Null and Noteworthy, researchers rebut a controversial epidural study, test out autism assessments in toddlers and give the okay for multilingualism in autistic children.

By Laura Dattaro
20 May 2021 | 5 min read
Two views of mouse brain slices colorized in green and red.

Jump-starting growth signaling reverses microcephaly in autism mouse model

A genetic therapy and an existing drug both restore typical brain size in mice missing DYRK1A, a top autism candidate gene, in the cerebral cortex, a new study shows. The animals typically have smaller brains than controls.

By Peter Hess
29 April 2021 | 4 min read

Growth factor levels may be elevated in children with autism

Children with autism may have increased blood levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that spurs the formation of neuronal connections.

By Rachel Zamzow
11 November 2016 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Lab gearing up to screen candidate drugs for Rett syndrome

Researchers have established a battery of robust rodent assays to screen treatments for Rett syndrome.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
21 October 2015 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Growth factor rescues neurons made from boys with Rett

Neurons derived from the skin cells of boys with Rett syndrome can help screen potential treatments for the disorder, suggest unpublished results presented yesterday at the 2014 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

By Katie Moisse
18 November 2014 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

The case for using ‘prebiotics’

Prebiotics — nutrients that promote the growth of some beneficial gut bacteria — can influence brain chemistry and behavior. New findings suggest prebiotics as treatments for people with neurological disorders, say Sarkis Mazmanian and Gil Sharon.

By Sarkis Mazmanian, Gil Sharon
1 April 2014 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

No longer junk: Role of long noncoding RNAs in autism risk

Long pieces of RNA that do not code for protein have diverse and important roles in the cell and may contribute to autism risk, say Nikolaos Mellios and Mriganka Sur.

By Nikolaos Mellios, Mriganka Sur
4 March 2014 | 7 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Molecular mechanisms: Rett gene boosts protein production

MeCP2, the protein mutated in Rett syndrome, is normally responsible for boosting the expression of a large number of genes. This finding, published 3 October in Cell Stem Cell, may explain why growth factors that promote protein production are able to reverse features of the syndrome in mice.

By Jessica Wright
3 December 2013 | 2 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Existing drugs could treat Rett syndrome, studies suggest

Rett syndrome affects many cellular pathways, but correcting just one of these with drugs approved for other purposes may be enough to alleviate symptoms of the disorder. This was the message from two presentations Tuesday at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego.

By Jessica Wright
13 November 2013 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Colorful illustration of a latticework of proteins.

Cracking the code of the extracellular matrix

Despite evidence for a role in plasticity and other crucial functions, many neuroscientists still view these proteins as “brain goop.” The field needs technical advances and a shift in scientific thinking to move beyond this outdated perspective.

By Anna Victoria Molofsky
17 January 2025 | 5 min read
A repeated DNA strand extends farther from the left side of the image with each iteration.

Huntington’s disease gene variants past a certain size poison select cells

The findings—providing “the next step in the whole pathway”—help explain the disease’s late onset and offer hope that it has an extended therapeutic window.

By Angie Voyles Askham
16 January 2025 | 6 min read
Research image highlighting different brain regions.

X marks the spot in search for autism variants

Genetic variants on the X chromosome, including those in the gene DDX53, contribute to autism’s gender imbalance, two new studies suggest.

By Holly Barker
16 January 2025 | 6 min read