Researchers Seek to Reverse Rett Syndrome

Newly discovered details might advance efforts to reverse Rett syndrome, a rare condition that prevents an infant’s brain circuitry from developing, according to a presentation called out as a “Hot Topic” by the Society for Neuroscience at its annual meeting this week.

The study by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is part of mounting evidence that conditions from autism to Down syndrome need not last a lifetime.

“Our results suggest that the field is on the right track in early efforts to design a treatment for a devastating condition in Rett syndrome,” said Lucas Pozzo-Miller, Ph.D., professor of neurobiology at UAB and senior author of the paper. “They also provide the latest argument that correcting for the genetic miscues behind developmental disabilities may one day reverse their effect, even if treated in adulthood.”