MMP9 Archives

Clinical Trial of Metformin for Fragile X Syndrome

May 24, 2019

FRAXA-funded open-label trial found that metformin led to increased GABA-mediated cortical inhibition, suggesting metformin modulates core Fragile X pathways.

Devon Binder, PhD; Iryna Ethell, PhD, Patricia Pirbhoy, PhD, at UC Riverside School of Medicine

Understanding and Reversing Hypersensitivity to Sounds in Fragile X Syndrome

June 20, 2018

This FRAXA grant studied why people with Fragile X are overly sensitive to sound and tested drug strategies to calm the brain’s overactive auditory circuits.

Funding opportunities - FRAXA investigators

Combinatorial Drug Treatment in a Model of Fragile X Syndrome using Novel Biomarkers

October 3, 2017

University of California researchers Khaleel Razak, PhD, and Jonathan W. Lovelace, PhD, explored drug combinations to limit hypersensitivity to sounds in Fragile X mice.

Nahum Sonenberg, PhD, 2017 Fragile X Research Grant

Metformin, Diabetes Drug, Potential Fragile X Treatment

May 18, 2017

“We treated mice with metformin and corrected all the core Fragile X deficits. We are optimistic about using metformin in human clinical trials. This is a generic drug with few side effects” says Nahum Sonenberg, PhD, James McGill Professor, Department of Biochemistry, McGill Cancer Center, McGill University.

Iryna Ethell UC Riverside, FRAXA researcher

Fragile X Syndrome Treatment Target: MMP-9

July 24, 2014

Dr. Ethell was awarded FRAXA Research Foundation funding from 2008-2011 and 2012-present. This latest work shows that human Fragile X tissues have elevated levels of the extracellular enzyme MMP-9, as well as an increase in the active fraction of that protein (like most enzymes, MMP-9 can exist in an inactive form which can be switched on rapidly; this kind of regulation is important in most biological pathways.)

Encouraging Results from First Trial of Minocycline in Fragile X

October 10, 2010

A clinical trial of minocycline in children with Fragile X found significantly better global improvement vs. placebo, supporting its safety and potential.

Iryna Ethell, PhD, at University of California

Role of Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMP-9) in Fragile X

February 2, 2009

With a $220,000 grant from FRAXA Research Foundation over 3 years, Dr. Iryna Ethell from the University of California at Riverside studied the regulation of dendritic structure by matrix metalloproteinases and other extracellular signaling pathways. This work identified a major treatment strategy for Fragile X with the available MMP-9 inhibitor, minocycline.