Potential breakthrough made for Down syndrome

Researchers using a new dosing schedule of an old drug--PTZ--were able to improve the cognition skills of mice suffering from Down syndrome. Craig C. Garner, a Stanford School of Medicine professor, said that mice given 17 daily doses of the therapy were able to recognize objects and navigate mazes with the same dexterity as healthy mice. A considerable amount of work still needs to be done, researchers note, as high concentrations of the drug have been known to cause seizures in humans. But the research does provide hope for people suffering from Down syndrome--the leading cause of mental retardation. There is no approved therapy for the condition, which occurs in one of every 660 births. Experts believe that people with Down syndrome have too much of a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA. PTZ blocks GABA.

- read the article on the animal study from The Los Angeles Times