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1: Drug Discov Today. 2004 Apr 15;9(8):366-74.Click here to read Links
Comment in:
Drug Discov Today. 2004 Jun 1;9(11):473.

Autism: a target of pharmacotherapies?

Gerlai R, Gerlai J.

Department of Psychology University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2430 Campus Road Honolulu, HI 96822-2216, USA. gerlai@hawaii.edu

Autism is reaching epidemic proportions. The diagnosis can be made as early as 2 years of age, and autistic patients are expected to have a normal life span. Thus, in terms of the number of 'patient years', autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represents a market that is as large as that of the biggest neurological indication, Alzheimer's disease. However, despite the clear unmet medical need no effective treatment is yet available. This could be because the biology of ASD is not clearly understood and thus proper drug treatment has not been possible. However, significant advances are being made toward understanding the mechanisms of the disease. Here, we review the most recent preclinical advances in the hope that they will lead to a breakthrough in the near future.

PMID: 15081964 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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