Source: Burnham Institute for Medical Research
Date: june 30, 2008
Summary:
In a breakthrough scientific study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research have shown that neural stem cell development may be linked to Autism. The study demonstrated that mice lacking the myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) protein in neural stem cells had smaller brains, fewer nerve cells and showed behaviors similar to those seen in humans with a form of autism known as Rett Syndrome. This work represents the first direct link between a developmental disorder of neural stem cells and the subsequent onset of autism.
