Death – Obituary – Accident and Crime News : Chinese Scientists Develop Groundbreaking Injection to Reverse Autism Symptoms
In a significant breakthrough in the field of medical science, Chinese scientists have created the first injection that can reverse autism symptoms through genetic base editing within the brain, according to a report by the South China Morning Post. The researchers, based in Shanghai, conducted tests on mice and observed positive results.
The scientists developed a genome editing system that effectively altered the DNA of mice carrying a mutation observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mice that received the injection containing this editing system exhibited a reduction in behaviors associated with ASD.
In a research paper published in the journal Nature Neuroscience on November 27, the scientists highlighted that the potential treatment method they discovered may not only be applicable to patients with ASD but also to individuals with other genetic neurodevelopmental disorders.
ASD affects approximately 1% of the global population, with one in every 36 children in the United States diagnosed with the disorder, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disorder hinders a person’s capacity to interact and communicate, leading to repetitive behaviors and intense interests.
The scientists focused their investigation on the potential of genomic editing for treating ASD by generating mice with mutations in the MEF2C gene, a gene strongly associated with the disorder. Mutations in this gene were believed to contribute to developmental deficits, speech difficulties, repetitive behaviors, and epilepsy.
Li Dali, a professor of Life Sciences at East China Normal University, who is not an author of the paper, stated that this was the first effective treatment of mice with ASD-related mutations using base editing in the brain, according to Shenzhen-based autism media platform Dami & Xiaomi.
The treatment successfully restored MEF2C protein levels in several brain regions and reversed the behavioral abnormalities in MEF2C-mutant mice, according to the paper.
However, it is important to note that for some patients, the disorder may not be caused by a single nucleotide variation like it was for the mice in the study, but rather by more complex mutations that would be difficult to edit.
This groundbreaking research offers hope for individuals with ASD and opens up possibilities for further advancements in the treatment of genetic neurodevelopmental disorders.