Research Area

Mighty muscles

Myostatin normally keeps muscles from growing. Scientist are trying to inhibit myostatin as a therapeutic approach for kids with muscular dystrophy; this strategy has just entered clinical trials using an antibody that sops up the myostatin.

Brain imaging and autism

Brain imaging is really starting to come into its own these days --- the technology is improving and scientists are getting better at interpreting the results. In addition, the NIH is emphasizing support of imagining technology, so hopefully the field will continue to advance pretty quickly.

Resource: peer review process

Sense about Science is a UK nonprofit that promotes evidence-based science and public education/discussion regarding the scientific process.

New approach to gene therapy - zinc fingers

I wanted to share a new article that just came out in "Nature" (a very well respected journal) in the field of gene therapy. The link to the abstract is below. This advance is not likely to have an impact in PWS in the near future, but it does represent a major technical advancement in the field that is likely to have far-reaching applications, so I'll try to summarize.

Orexin and addiction

Here is an interesting new study about orexin (aka hypocretin). Recall that orexin was first identified as an appetite stimulating molecule. It was then tied to narcolepsy (through stuides of a well-defined colony of narcoleptic dogs).