Clinical Trial Planned for Rett Syndrome Treatment

Treatment with the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) greatly improves the health of mouse models of Rett syndrome ― a regressive genetic disorder that causes mental retardation, respiratory problems, and autistic features ― according to unpublished researched presented Monday at the Society for Neuroscience conference in Washington, D.C.Thanks to the success of these animal experiments, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston are setting up a clinical trial to test whether IGF can improve the breathing of 30 pre-adolescent girls with Rett syndrome.Read more at...SFARI, November 2008.