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Down Syndrome is a condition caused by a third copy of chromasone 21 or certain genes contained
within it, and it affects around one in every 691 babies born in the USA every year. There
is no cure or alleviation for the condition, whose side effects include physical and mental
growth delays.
But now scientists from John Hopkins University of Medicine in Baltimore have found a way
of mitigating the effects of Downs Syndrome in mice, using just a single injection. The
researchers have developed a protein known as a Sonic Hedgehog Pathway Agonist - Yeah,
seriously- Which encourages normal brain growth and mental development - A cerebellum around
40% of normal size is a common side effect of the condition.
Not only that but the injection also showed unexpected benefits in learning and memory,
normally handled by a different part of the brain known as the hippocampus.
But there's a catch, as always with these things. Mice aren't humans. The Sonic molecule
hasn't been certified as safe for humans and likely won't be for many years to come, if
ever. It is, nevertheless, a major development, and an exciting step forward.