Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) may some day be a good therapy for children with autism.
VIP is made by the body and is important for the growth of the baby's brain during pregnancy. This review article describes the research showing that VIP may work as a therapy for people with autism. For example, VIP has helped baby mice with brain problems. Mouse studies have shown that VIP may also be able to help with learning and memory problems. Drug companies need to work out a way that VIP can be given to the child such that it stays in the body for a long enough time and it gets into the brain. When this work has been done, then tests in humans can begin to see if VIP will be a good treatment for autism and other problems with the brain.
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