Scientists Uncover Trigger for Most Common Form of Intellectual Disability and Autism

A new study led by Weill Cornell Medical College scientists shows that the most common genetic form of mental retardation and autism occurs because of a mechanism that shuts off the gene associated with the disease. The findings, published today in Science, also show that a drug that blocks this silencing mechanism can prevent fragile X syndrome — suggesting similar therapy is possible for 20 other diseases that range from mental retardation to multisystem failure.

Fragile X syndrome occurs mostly in boys, causing intellectual disability as well as telltale physical, behavioral and emotional traits. While researchers have known for more than two decades that the culprit behind the disease is an unusual mutation characterized by the excess repetition of a particular segment of the genetic code, they weren't sure why the presence of a large number of these repetitions — 200 or more — sets the disease process in motion.

Using stem cells from donated human embryos that tested positive for fragile X syndrome, the scientists discovered that early on in fetal development, messenger RNA — a template for protein production — begins sticking itself onto the fragile X syndrome gene's DNA. This binding appears to gum up the gene, making it inactive and unable to produce a protein crucial to the transmission of signals between brain cells.

http://weill.cornell.edu/news/pr/2014/02/scientists-uncover-trigger-for-most-common-form-of-intellectual-disability-and-autism-finding-may-ex.html

   A COUPLE of weeks back, I remember eddie commenting to someone like Elizel and/or Ben on another thread on here ~ that she believes that I might have a mild form of ADHD !!!

AS IT HAS been noted before that many ADHD sufferers, especially those more "mild" variants -
are also prone to being well above average in their intelligence and creativity quotients ~
that amateur diagnosis is always certainly a possibility..

IF I were to be found to be suffering from ADHD at some future date, then I reckon there's more than an even chance that the "triggers" for such conditions would undoubtedly include the brainless and idiotic attacks against me and other innocents from  the trolling R/W goons currently infesting
this site !    

Beekeeper wrote:   A COUPLE of weeks back, I remember eddie commenting to someone like Elizel and/or Ben on another thread on here ~ that she believes that I might have a mild form of ADHD !!!

AS IT HAS been noted before that many ADHD sufferers, especially those more "mild" variants -
are also prone to being well above average in their intelligence and creativity quotients ~
that amateur diagnosis is always certainly a possibility..

IF I were to be found to be suffering from ADHD at some future date, then I reckon there's more than an even chance that the "triggers" for such conditions would undoubtedly include the brainless and idiotic attacks against me and other innocents from  the trolling R/W goons currently infesting
this site !    

For Christ's sake! I'm trying to put up decent threads which hopefully interest people of intelligence. Why do you have to spoil every single thread by making it about you? You probably don't have ADHD, you clearly suffer from narcissism pure and simple.

I don't remember saying that but I'd like to find the thread where I said it so I can read it again.