{"id":56599,"date":"2026-04-23T10:54:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T17:54:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/?post_type=disclosure&#038;p=56599"},"modified":"2026-04-23T12:41:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T19:41:27","slug":"how-do-astrocytes-contribute-to-fragile-x-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"disclosure","link":"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/news-release\/how-do-astrocytes-contribute-to-fragile-x-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"How do astrocytes contribute to fragile X syndrome?"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"list-style: none; padding-left: -20px !important; margin-left: -20px !important;\"><strong>Lo m\u00e1s destacado<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Salk neuroscientists found how specialized brain cells called astrocytes contribute to fragile X syndrome symptoms<\/li>\n<li>They discovered a protein pathway that, when suppressed, can alleviate some symptoms in a mouse model of the syndrome<\/li>\n<li>The study demonstrates the value of studying astrocytes in disorders and points to the future potential of astrocyte-based therapeutics for fragile X syndrome and other conditions like Down or Rett syndromes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>LA JOLLA\u2014Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an inherited genetic developmental condition that strongly impacts brain development. Despite the syndrome stemming from altered genetic code for the single protein fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein (FMRP), its symptoms are broad and variable; people with FXS can have a range of behavioral and physical symptoms, and around 40 percent of people with FXS also have autism spectrum disorder. There is currently no cure for FXS; treatments are limited to medications and therapies to help manage symptoms.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_56601\"  class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"458\" height=\"458\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-56601 size-col-md-5\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors-458x458.jpg\" alt=\"James Deng (left) and Nicola Allen (right) discovered that manipulating astrocytes can improve aspects of fragile X syndrome.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors-458x458.jpg 458w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors-12x12.jpg 12w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors-767x767.jpg 767w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors-147x147.jpg 147w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors-585x585.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors-553x553.jpg 553w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors-750x750.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors-945x945.jpg 945w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Deng (left) and Nicola Allen (right) discovered that manipulating astrocytes can improve aspects of fragile X syndrome.<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-authors.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Haga clic aqu\u00ed<\/a> para obtener una imagen en alta resoluci\u00f3n.<br \/>Cr\u00e9dito: Instituto Salk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>New research from the Salk Institute found how star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes contribute to some FXS symptoms. What&#8217;s more, they found that a protein pathway commonly upregulated in FXS astrocytes could be suppressed to lessen those symptoms\u2014meaning less severe seizures and restored molecular balances in a mouse model of FXS.<\/p>\n<p>Los hallazgos, publicados en <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-026-71919-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Comunicaciones de la Naturaleza<\/em><\/a> on April 23, 2026, validate the importance of studying astrocytes in FXS research and are a promising step toward future therapeutics for FXS and other developmental conditions, like Down syndrome or Rett syndrome.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis dataset identifies astrocyte-specific alterations to proteins that allow astrocytes to regulate neurons in a whole-brain context,\u201d says senior author of the study <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/scientist\/nicola-allen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nicola Allen, PhD,<\/a> professor and Roger Guilleman Chair at Salk. \u201cIt\u2019s a great resource for fragile X syndrome researchers, but also for the scientific community beyond any single disorder or condition. Using this approach, we can study astrocyte protein changes within a whole brain context and make their inclusion easier moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-size: 20px; margin-top: 40px;\"><strong>What does fragile X syndrome look like in the brain?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>FXS is the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability, so understanding exactly how it manifests in the brain is crucial. It makes sense, then, that scientists have been studying the role neurons play in FXS.<\/p>\n<p>One consistent finding has been dysfunctional synapses, which are the junctions between neurons where information exchange occurs. Research has shown that in FXS, there are structural differences in neurons\u2019 dendritic spines, the site of input during synaptic information exchange.<\/p>\n<p>These two dysfunctions have something in common: Both synapse activity and dendritic spine morphology are regulated by astrocytes. Astrocytes are abundant non-neuronal glial cells found throughout the brain and are crucial for the development and maintenance of healthy neurons.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_56606\"  class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"945\" height=\"799\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-56606 size-col-md-10\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1-945x799.jpg\" alt=\"Astrocytes in the brain\u2019s visual cortex. New Salk research shows that astrocytes may be a viable target for future fragile X syndrome therapeutics and emphasizes the importance of studying these specialized brain cells in disease and disorder research.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1-945x799.jpg 945w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1-300x254.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1-1024x866.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1-768x649.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1-14x12.jpg 14w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1-147x124.jpg 147w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1-458x387.jpg 458w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1-585x495.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1-553x467.jpg 553w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1-750x634.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1-767x648.jpg 767w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 945px) 100vw, 945px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Astrocytes in the brain\u2019s visual cortex. New Salk research shows that astrocytes may be a viable target for future fragile X syndrome therapeutics and emphasizes the importance of studying these specialized brain cells in disease and disorder research.<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-1.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Haga clic aqu\u00ed<\/a> para obtener una imagen en alta resoluci\u00f3n.<br \/>Cr\u00e9dito: Instituto Salk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 style=\"font-size: 20px; margin-top: 40px;\"><strong>How do astrocytes influence fragile X syndrome symptoms?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This link between neurons and astrocytes in FXS is no surprise to the astrocyte-savvy researchers in Allen\u2019s lab.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRecent research, including in our lab, has shown that astrocytes have many changed genes and proteins in fragile X syndrome,\u201d says first author James Deng, who led this project as a graduate student researcher in Allen\u2019s lab. \u201cOur study accelerates this ongoing work by studying fragile X syndrome astrocytes through multiple angles in a living system, which gives us novel insights into those changes.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_56608\"  class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"458\" height=\"458\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-56608 size-col-md-5\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2-458x458.jpg\" alt=\"A single astrocyte imaged to showcase the star-like branching of the cell. New Salk research shows that astrocytes may be a viable target for future fragile X syndrome therapeutics and emphasizes the importance of studying these specialized brain cells in disease and disorder research.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2-458x458.jpg 458w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2-12x12.jpg 12w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2-767x767.jpg 767w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2-147x147.jpg 147w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2-585x585.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2-553x553.jpg 553w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2-750x750.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2-945x945.jpg 945w, https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2.jpg 1508w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A single astrocyte imaged to showcase the star-like branching of the cell. New Salk research shows that astrocytes may be a viable target for future fragile X syndrome therapeutics and emphasizes the importance of studying these specialized brain cells in disease and disorder research.<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260423-pr-allen-microscopy-2.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Haga clic aqu\u00ed<\/a> para obtener una imagen en alta resoluci\u00f3n.<br \/>Cr\u00e9dito: Instituto Salk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Building off their previous findings that genes and proteins are dysregulated in FXS astrocytes when isolated and grown in a dish, the Salk team zeroed in on one specific dysregulated pathway: bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. According to their previous research, BMP signaling is upregulated in FXS astrocytes. What, then, would happen if it\u2019s suppressed?<\/p>\n<p>Answering that question in a physiologically relevant way meant taking their research beyond the petri dish and performing genetic astrocyte-specific manipulations on a mouse model for FXS. And so they did\u2014creating the first mouse model with FXS in which BMP signaling was suppressed only in astrocytes.<\/p>\n<p>They found that suppressing BMP signaling reduced the severity of seizures\u2014a symptom present in some patients with FXS that can be seen in the FXS mouse model. Then, they dug into the details, looking for specific genetic and protein differences between mice with and without functional BMP signaling in astrocytes.<\/p>\n<p>Using new technologies to profile the RNA and proteins of astrocytes in living systems, the researchers found metabolic and protein secretion pathways disrupted in FXS astrocytes that were improved with the intervention. Moreover, when the researchers suppressed BMP signaling, they observed partial rescue of synaptic activity in the auditory cortex, a brain region responsible for sound processing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA striking aspect of our fragile X syndrome astrocyte-specific RNA and protein datasets was the low amount of overlap between syndrome-related changes at the RNA versus protein levels,\u201d adds Allen. \u201cIt really illustrates the idea that you have to look at things from multiple different angles and levels to make impactful breakthroughs.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-size: 20px; margin-top: 40px;\"><strong>What is next for fragile X syndrome research?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Multiple molecular imbalances seen in FXS astrocytes were traced to BMP signaling, and blocking that signaling led to less severe seizures and a restoration of multiple molecular pathways as well as synaptic activity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeeing that targeting the BMP pathway in astrocytes alleviated some FXS symptoms makes us optimistic about astrocytes being important for consideration in future therapeutics,\u201d says Deng. \u201cWhile there are exciting new developments in the Fragile X drug pipeline, there have historically also been a lot of struggles and failed clinical trials in this area, so we really hope our work can help accelerate patient impact.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the specific findings around BMP signaling, the authors emphasize their excitement around this new tool for studying astrocyte-specific protein changes in many neurodevelopmental disorders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis opens a whole new world for similar studies in different disorders,\u201d says Allen. \u201cNow that James has developed the tools, we can use them in Rett syndrome or Down syndrome or other conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-size: 20px; margin-top: 40px;\"><strong>Otros autores y financiaci\u00f3n<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Other authors include Adrien Paumier, Lara Labarta-Bajo, Ashley Brandebura, Nick Andrews, and Tao Tao of Salk; Reina Bassil of Salk and UC San Diego; Antonio Pinto and Jolene Diedrich of Salk and Scripps Research Institute; and Samuel Kahn of UC San Diego.<\/p>\n<p>The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R21 NS137659, F30 HD106699, T32GM154642, NIA 1K99AG081536-01, P30 CA01495, P30 AG068635, R24NS092943, S10-OD023689, S10-OD026929), FRAXA Research Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, UC San Diego (URS Eureka! Research Scholarship), George E. Hewitt Foundation, Helmsley Charitable Trust, and Waitt Foundation.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":56613,"template":"","faculty":[81],"disease-research":[169,459,124],"class_list":["post-56599","disclosure","type-disclosure","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","faculty-nicola-allen","disease-research-autism","disease-research-glial-biology","disease-research-neuroscience-and-neurological-disorders"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How do astrocytes contribute to fragile X syndrome? - Salk Institute for Biological Studies<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.salk.edu\/es\/news-release\/how-do-astrocytes-contribute-to-fragile-x-syndrome\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_MX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How do astrocytes contribute to fragile X syndrome? - Salk Institute for Biological Studies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Highlights Salk neuroscientists found how specialized brain cells called astrocytes contribute to fragile X syndrome symptoms They discovered a protein pathway that, when suppressed, can alleviate some symptoms in a mouse model of the syndrome The study demonstrates the value of studying astrocytes in disorders and points to the future potential of astrocyte-based therapeutics for fragile X syndrome and other conditions like Down or Rett syndromes LA JOLLA\u2014Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an inherited genetic developmental condition that strongly impacts brain development. Despite the syndrome stemming from altered genetic code for the single protein fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein (FMRP), its symptoms are broad and variable; people with FXS can have a range of behavioral and physical symptoms, and around 40 percent of people with FXS also have autism spectrum disorder. 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Despite the syndrome stemming from altered genetic code for the single protein fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein (FMRP), its symptoms are broad and variable; people with FXS can have a range of behavioral and physical symptoms, and around 40 percent of people with FXS also have autism spectrum disorder. 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