Progress reported in fragile X research

Atlanta -- A U.S. team of scientists has identified several drugs and small molecules that reverse features of fragile X syndrome -- a form of mental retardation.

The scientists, led by Stephen Warren of Emory University, made their discoveries using a new drug screening method in Drosophila (fruit flies), setting the stage for development of new treatments for the syndrome, one of the leading known causes of autism.

Warren led a group of scientists that discovered in 1991 that the FMR1 gene is responsible for fragile X syndrome.

In the current experiment, scientists discovered when FMR1-deficient fly embryos were fed food containing increased levels of glutamate, they died during development.

The scientists placed the FMR1-deficient fly embryos in thousands of tiny wells containing food with glutamate. In addition, each well contained one compound from a library of 2,000 drugs and small molecules. Using that screening method, the scientists uncovered nine molecules that reversed the lethal effects of glutamate.

The study that included Shuang Chang, Steven Bray and Peng Jin of Emory, Zigang Li of the University of Chicago and Daniela Zarnescu from the University of Arizona appears online in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.