Todd, Peter Archives

Renewed Hope: Navigating Towards a Cure for Fragile X Syndrome

April 16, 2024

Discover how Dr. Peter Todd’s latest Fragile X Syndrome research offers hope for advanced treatments and a possible cure, marking a new era in FXS therapy.

How Promising is CRISPR for Fragile X?

August 14, 2018

Peter Todd, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology in the University of Michigan Medical School, was awarded a FRAXA Research Grant for gene reactivation with the use of CRISPR. In this interview he tells us about CRISPR in Fragile X research, how realistic is it that it could turn the Fragile X gene back on, and if it can really cure Fragile X.

Fragile X Research Impacted by a Small Group of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens

August 7, 2018

Congrats to FXAM! Their months of effort paid off with a $35K grant to support Dr. Todd’s groundbreaking Fragile X CRISPR research.

Can CRISPR Cure Fragile X Syndrome?

February 28, 2018

CRISPR/Cas9 was used by MIT researchers to remove the molecular tags that keep the mutant gene shut off in Fragile X syndrome neurons and resulted in some of them producing protein normally. Much work is being done right now, with exciting new discoveries coming at a fast and furious pace.

CRISPR Reactivation of the Fragile X Gene

December 6, 2017

“We are trying to target the first event that goes wrong in Fragile X syndrome”, says Todd, “One reason our previous attempts to develop treatments for Fragile X syndrome have failed is that they’ve tried to target the downstream effects of losing the Fragile X protein. The protein does many things… bypassing all the functions that it normally takes care of has proven difficult from a pharmacologic perspective.”

18th International Fragile X and Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders Workshop, Quebec, Canada

In Their Own Words: Reports From the International Fragile X Workshop

October 29, 2017

The 18th International Fragile X Workshop in Quebec was a great success, featuring more Fragile X research than ever before!

Targeted Transcriptional Reactivation of FMR1 in Fragile X Syndrome Stem Cells

September 23, 2017

FRAXA funded Dr. Peter Todd to use CRISPR to reactivate FMR1. Published results confirmed restored gene expression, a big step toward disease-modifying therapy.

University of Michigan researcher Peter Todd, MD, PhD, Aims to Selectively Turn the Fragile X Gene Back on in Human Cells

June 13, 2016

Fish like salmon are born in fresh water streams and rivers. When the time comes for them to breed, they return to the stream of their birth to lay eggs in the same spot where they were born. To accomplish this, they must swim upstream against the current or flow of the stream. Taking a page out of the salmon DNA playbook, University of Michigan scientists Peter Todd, MD, PhD, and postdoctoral fellow Jill Haenfler, Ph.D., are exploring unchartered waters to find a cure for Fragile X Syndrome. The researchers are adapting CRISPR research to reactivate the FMR1 gene, which provides instructions for making a protein called FMRP — needed for normal brain development.