In 1966, an Austrian neurologist named Andreas Rett first described more than 20 young female patients which shared similar characteristics, starting from the observation of identical stereotypic hand movements. In 1983, the Swedish pediatrician Bengt Hagberg gave for the first time the name of Rett syndrome (RTT) to the symptoms he detected in a group […]
15 posts found
Development and differentiation
A gene therapy approach for the Rett Syndrome
The gene therapy is likely to become an important tool in the fight against pediatric rare diseases, especially those derived by the alteration of one single gene. This is the case of the Rett Syndrome (RTT), caused by the loss of function of MECP2, a gene involved in the control of the transcription of different […]
STXBP1 protein as a therapeutic target for Epileptic Encephalopathy
The epileptic encephalopathies (EEs) are characterized by frequent seizures and cognitive and behavioral impairment. The presence of the mental handicap is a signal that the EEs origin during the neuronal development, so that, even if the seizure can be controlled by using available anti-epileptic drugs, the cognitive impairment cannot be stopped with the current treatments. […]
Genetic strategies to repair brain circuits with altered MECP2
The Rett syndrome (RTT) and the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders which, although presenting different symptoms and evolution, are linked by a common factor: mutations in the same gene, called MECP2. But the answers on how and why the same gene could have a key role in the development of both diseases have […]
The MECP2 gene and its role in the Rett syndrome
The Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurological disorder caused by mutations which occur in the gene MECP2 (methyl-CpG-binding protein 2). This gene is located on the X chromosome, and the RTT affects only females – 1 every 10,000 – because the mutation of MECP2 in males is not viable. However, some isolated cases of boys […]
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