BEIJING, Feb. 26
(Xinhuanet) -- Stanford University researchers might have found a drug which can
help people fight the mental retardation caused by Down syndrome, according to a
study published on Sunday.
An old drug once used to study epilepsy substantially
improved learning and memory in mice with Down syndrome symptoms, the
researchers said.
What's more, the gains lasted for months after the
treatment was discontinued. The researchers are now considering a clinical trial
to test whether the compound has a similar effect in humans with Down syndrome.
The finding, published in the journal Nature
Neuroscience, also can help scientists understand what causes the mental
retardation seen in Down syndrome patients.
"This treatment has remarkable potential," said Craig
Garner, a professor of psychiatry and a director of the Down Syndrome Research
Center at California's Stanford University.
However, the researchers caution that the research is
reliminary and it is too early to tell if the drug will be successful in people.
Down syndrome is the most frequent genetic cause of
mental retardation and occurs equally around the world, in about one in every
800 births. About 5,000 children born in the United States each year have Down
syndrome.
Symptoms range from moderate mental retardation to
very mild disability. Many Down's patients also have health problems, especially
heart trouble.
(Agencies)
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