A Downs Cure?

Sufferers of the chromosomal disorder Downs syndrome could be helped by a new drug which increases the levels of message-carrying chemicals in the brain. This means that the learning and developmental difficulties symptomatic of the condition could be improved. US researchers injected mice suffering from Downs with a drug called norepinephrine, which is a neurotransmitter, and this was found to improve their thinking capability. Dr. Ahmad Salehi of the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, whose study was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine said, “If you intervene early enough, you will be able to help kids with Down syndrome to collect and modulate information.”