{"id":47242,"date":"2026-04-11T02:51:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T02:51:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=47242"},"modified":"2026-04-11T02:51:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T02:51:59","slug":"cheap-drug-already-available-may-improve-autism-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=47242","title":{"rendered":"Cheap drug already available may improve autism symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>This news isn\u2019t hard to swallow. <\/p>\n<p>Researchers at Yale University have identified a low-cost prescription drug already on the market that could help ease symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in some people.<\/p>\n<p>And if you\u2019re thinking it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/health\/what-is-leucovorin-inside-the-drug-giving-new-hope-to-autism-patients\/\">leucovorin<\/a> \u2014 a vitamin B\u2013derived drug hyped as a <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/03\/19\/health\/kids-with-autism-show-dramatic-improvement-with-cheap-drug\/\">possible remedy<\/a> \u2014 you\u2019d be wrong. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Approximately 1 in 31 children in the US have autism.  <span class=\"credit\">Pixel-Shot \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2518846123\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the study<\/a>, researchers compiled a database of 774 FDA-approved drugs and tested how they affected the behavior of zebrafish genetically modified to exhibit autism-like traits.  <\/p>\n<p>The choice of test subject may sound unusual, but these tiny tropical swimmers have become one of science\u2019s most powerful research tools in recent years.<\/p>\n<p>Humans and zebrafish share about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/nature12111\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">70% of the same genes<\/a>, and roughly <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC12632426\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">84% of genes<\/a> linked to human disease have an equivalent in the animal, making it a powerful model for studying conditions ranging from <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC3484855\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">muscular dystrophy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC7290816\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">melanoma<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2013\/09\/03\/researchers-discover-potential-epilepsy-drug-using-zebrafish\/\">epilepsy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/03\/23\/health\/parkinsons-risk-increases-with-exposure-to-this-common-chemical\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Parkinson\u2019s<\/a>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Of the 774 FDA-approved drugs tested, the researchers narrowed the list down to 520 that were non-toxic and showed significant effects on zebrafish behavior.<\/p>\n<p>From that group, one drug in particular stood out as a potential candidate for treating ASD. <\/p>\n<p>Sold under the brand name Carnitor, levocarnitine is currently used to treat low carnitine levels, a condition in which the body cannot properly convert fat from food into energy.<\/p>\n<p>But in the new analysis, the drug \u2014 which costs about 44 cents per pill \u2014 appeared to go beyond that.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Zebrafish share many genetic similarities with humans, making them a valuable model for scientific research.  <span class=\"credit\">NERYX \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Researchers found that levocarnitine helped restore more normal function in zebrafish carrying mutations in two key genes tied to brain development and autism-related traits, SCN2A and DYRK1A.<\/p>\n<p>The drug appeared to \u201creverse\u201d disruptive behaviors in the animals, while also promoting more balanced metabolism and more typical patterns of brain activity.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<p>But before you get too excited, there\u2019s a bit of a catch.<\/p>\n<p>While mutations in SCN2A and DYRK1A are known risk factors for the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/05\/12\/health\/why-autism-cases-have-risen-so-much-since-the-90s-and-3-common-myths-to-ignore\/\">neurodevelopmental condition<\/a>, they appear to be relatively rare in the broader ASD population.<\/p>\n<p>Research suggests SCN2A may account for roughly <a href=\"https:\/\/sparkforautism.org\/discover_article\/scn2a-an-evolving-picture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 in 333 autism cases<\/a>, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scripps.edu\/news-and-events\/press-room\/2021\/20210408-page-autism-gene-dyrk1a.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">experts estimate<\/a> fewer than 1% of diagnosed people carry DYRK1A mutations. <\/p>\n<p>Taken together, the findings suggest levocarnitine would likely only benefit a small subset of people with ASD who carry specific mutations in those genes.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the team at Yale say their findings underscore the importance of studying <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/12\/19\/health\/genetic-discovery-reveals-direct-link-to-autism-what-to-know\/\">known autism risk genes<\/a> \u2014 more than 800 of which have been identified \u2014 in the search for potential treatments.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Carnitor, or levocarnitine, is a prescription medication used to treat carnitine deficiency, helping the body convert fat into energy. <span class=\"credit\">McKesson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<p>They also hope their open-source, searchable database of drugs will help pave the way for future discoveries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur findings lay the groundwork for investigating these drug mechanisms as potential targets for individuals carrying mutations in select autism risk genes,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/medicine.yale.edu\/profile\/ellen-hoffman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr. Ellen Hoffman<\/a>, a psychiatric geneticist, neurobiologist and senior author of the study, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/news.yale.edu\/2026\/04\/02\/zebrafish-reveal-new-insights-biology-autism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">press release<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>The research comes amid a <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/05\/12\/health\/why-autism-cases-have-risen-so-much-since-the-90s-and-3-common-myths-to-ignore\/\">steady rise in ASD cases<\/a> across the US. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/autism\/data-research\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Diagnoses have climbed sharply<\/a> in recent years, from 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 31 by 2022. Adults ages 26 to 34 have also seen a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yalemedicine.org\/news\/autism-diagnosis-in-adults\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">450% increase<\/a> in diagnoses between 2011 and 2022.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/05\/12\/health\/why-autism-cases-have-risen-so-much-since-the-90s-and-3-common-myths-to-ignore\/\">Scientists attribute the rise<\/a> to expanded diagnostic criteria, improved screening tools and greater awareness.<\/p>\n<p>Autism symptoms can include difficulty making eye contact, <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/10\/14\/health\/my-nonverbal-autistic-son-began-speaking-at-8-with-leucovorin\/\">communication struggles<\/a>, trouble reading others\u2019 emotions, challenges forming friendships, repetitive behaviors, intense interests in specific objects and sensory sensitivities.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, there is no medication that can cure ASD or a one-size-fits-all treatment to relieve its symptoms.<\/p>\n<p>For now, the Yale researchers caution against seeking out levocarnitine as a treatment, stressing that the drug still needs to be tested in humans. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/04\/10\/health\/cheap-drug-already-available-may-improve-autism-symptoms\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This news isn\u2019t hard to swallow. Researchers at Yale University have identified a low-cost prescription drug already on the market that could help ease symptoms of&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47242\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/47243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}