In pursuit of gene therapies for autism-linked conditions

Recent articles

Research image of gene-edited mouse liver cells compared to controls.

Latest ‘prime-editing’ tools tackle delivery, safety issues

The gene-editing advances make it easier to target specific tissues in mice and detect off-target effects.

By Charles Q. Choi
27 June 2023 | 5 min read
Long-tailed macaque in the canopy of a fruiting strangler fig tree, surrounded by ripening figs. Gunung Palung National Park, Borneo.

RNA therapy restores gene function in monkeys modeling Angelman syndrome

The result raises hopes for an ongoing clinical trial in people — and offers fresh insight into the biology of imprinting and the UBE3A antisense transcript.

By Brendan Borrell
7 April 2023 | 5 min read
Illustration of a single patient in a clinical trial sitting on a bed in a glitchy, imperfectly rendered room.

Lessons from n-of-1 trials: A conversation with Joseph Gleeson

Some conditions are too rare for conventional drug trials, leading some scientists to test bespoke treatments in single participants. Gleeson discusses the merits — and limitations — of these tiny trials.

By Peter Hess
30 March 2023 | 7 min read
Jeremy Levin, chief executive officer of Ovid Therapeutics, stands against a bench in a lab.

What next for Angelman?

A meeting in Texas reckons with the future of treatment, following two setbacks in 2020.

By Angie Voyles Askham
20 October 2022 | 14 min read
An Ultragenyx employee removes materials from a lab freezer.

Angelman therapy appears safer in restarted trial

Interim results from the previously paused trial suggest that doses of the experimental gene therapy drug GTX-102 are well tolerated in children with the autism-linked condition.

By Angie Voyles Askham
5 August 2022 | 4 min read

Neuron-specific virus overcomes barriers to brain-related gene therapy

A new viral variant can deliver genes exclusively to the brain, overcoming a key hurdle in treating neurological conditions using gene therapy.

By Holly Barker
14 January 2022 | 3 min read
lab technician pipetting in dramatic light

Alternative gene-therapy approaches take aim at Rett syndrome

Methods that selectively increase levels of the Rett protein make for safer and more effective treatment strategies, some researchers say.

By Angie Voyles Askham
16 June 2021 | 7 min read

New gene therapy methods deliver promise

Two unpublished studies detail improved techniques for delivering gene therapies to the brain.

By Angie Voyles Askham
14 January 2021 | 4 min read
Ralf Schmid, the research director in Neurodevelopmental diseases at the Gene Therapy Program Orphan Disease Center, loads replicated mouse dna into wells in the gel before applying electric current to test the viability of the dna.

A quest for Quincy: Gene therapies come of age for some forms of autism

A gene therapy for Angelman syndrome stands at the forefront of efforts to treat autism-linked conditions that stem from single genes.

By Lydia Denworth, Brendan Borrell
14 October 2020 | 24 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of mitochondrial activity in the mouse amygdala and hippocampus.

The fast-expanding repertoire of mitochondria in the brain

More than cellular powerhouses, these organelles also seem to help synapses communicate, support memory formation and even shape behavior.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
3 July 2026 | 7 min read
Two fingers turning a small dial.

When autistic kids grow up, Chapter 5: The war dial

“You have to reshape the whole system.” Tempest McDonald earns a measure of peace.

By Brady Huggett
2 July 2026 | 42 min listen
Red note stuck in a stack of paper.

Scientists decry conference’s use of hidden prompts to snare AI peer reviews

The invisible messages, which instruct large language models to use telltale phrases in a peer-review report, are effective in catching artificial-intelligence misuse but also erode trust, some say.

By Dalmeet Singh Chawla
1 July 2026 | 4 min read