Small-molecule BDNF mimetic may improve symptoms of Rett syndrome

A research team led by Lucas Pozzo-Miller (University of Alabama at Birmingham; Birmingham, AL, USA) has been investigating the role of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in synapses and more recently how this can translate to Rett Syndrome (RTT) therapy. Pozzo-Miller stated: “In fact, we became interested in RTT due to others groups' observations of MeCP2 regulation of BDNF expression and genetic overexpression of BDNF improving behavioral deficits in Mecp2 mutant mice.” Whilst Pozzo-Miller’s group were working on a method to increase BDNF levels, another group based at Stanford University (Stanford, CA, USA) had just developed a small molecule mimetic...