Austin Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group highly inheritable behavioral disorders that pose major personal and public health concerns. Patients with ASDs have mild to severe communication difficulties, repetive behavior and social challenges. Such disorders significantly challenge and individual’s ability to conduct daily activities and function normally in society. Currently there are very few medication options that effectively treat ASDs. Recognizing a need to better understand the biology that produces ASD symptoms, scientists at Duke-NUS and NNI. Singapore, have identified a novel mechanism that potentially links abnormal brain development of therapeutic interventions for ASDs. The study has shown how one brain-specific micro-RNA (micR-128) plays a key role in causing abnormal brain development. Micro-RNA are small molecules that regulate gone expression in the human body to ensure proper cellular function. Although it was known that miR-128 is misregulated in some patients with autism, what that meant and how it functioned was not known. The research team showed that miR-128 targets a protein called PCM1 that is critical to the cell division of neural precursor cells (NPCs). NPCs during early brain development have two fates, they either stay as NPCs and undergo self-renewal or become neurons through differentiation. The dysfunctional regulation of PCM1 by misregulated miR-128 impairs brain development, which may underlie brain size changes in people with ASDs. For the first time, the researschers have managed to show that miR-128 is a mechanism that regulates early neuronal behavior during brain development. They believe that targeting this mechanism may be the answer to diagnose and treat ASDs that are caused by abnormal brain development. This important study suggest a link between a key neuralogical disease gone and regulation of microRNAs in the brain. However, the researchers are just starting to understand how misregulated miR-128 expression can damage our brain activities. Much more work needs to be done in area. What is the topic of the passage?

Question

Austin Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group highly inheritable behavioral disorders that pose major personal and public health concerns. Patients with ASDs have mild to severe communication difficulties, repetive behavior and social challenges. Such disorders significantly challenge and individual’s ability to conduct daily activities and function normally in society. Currently there are very few medication options that effectively treat ASDs.

Recognizing a need to better understand the biology that produces ASD symptoms, scientists at Duke-NUS and NNI. Singapore, have identified a novel mechanism that potentially links abnormal brain development of therapeutic interventions for ASDs.

The study has shown how one brain-specific micro-RNA (micR-128) plays a key role in causing abnormal brain development. Micro-RNA are small molecules that regulate gone expression in the human body to ensure proper cellular function. Although it was known that miR-128 is misregulated in some patients with autism, what that meant and how it functioned was not known.

The research team showed that miR-128 targets a protein called PCM1 that is critical to the cell division of neural precursor cells (NPCs). NPCs during early brain development have two fates, they either stay as NPCs and undergo self-renewal or become neurons through differentiation. The dysfunctional regulation of PCM1 by misregulated miR-128 impairs brain development, which may underlie brain size changes in people with ASDs.

For the first time, the researschers have managed to show that miR-128 is a mechanism that regulates early neuronal behavior during brain development. They believe that targeting this mechanism may be the answer to diagnose and treat ASDs that are caused by abnormal brain development.

This important study suggest a link between a key neuralogical disease gone and regulation of microRNAs in the brain. However, the researchers are just starting to understand how misregulated miR-128 expression can damage our brain activities. Much more work needs to be done in area.

What is the topic of the passage?

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