Novel Approach To Treating Rett Syndrome Under Development
Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - 10:39
in Health & Medicine
A paper published online in Nature Neuroscience reveals the presence of methyl CpG binding protein 2 in glia. MeCP2 is a protein associated with a variety of neurological disorders, including Rett Syndrome, the most physically disabling of the autism spectrum disorders. The researchers show that MeCP2-deficient astrocytes, a subset of glia, stunt the growth of neighboring neurons. Remarkably, these neurons can recover when exposed to normal glia in culture. This research suggests a novel approach to treating Rett Syndrome.