Scientists have used the UK's national synchrotron science facility, Diamond Light Source, to make a discovery that could pave the way for more effective, targeted drugs to treat inherited learning disabilities and other neurological diseases. UK-based Heptares Therapeutics, the pioneering structure-guided drug discovery and development company, has mapped the structure of a protein linked to the genetic disorder Fragile X Syndrome, a major cause of inherited learning disabilities, as well as to autism, depression, anxiety, addiction and movement disorders. Understanding the structure of this protein means a new generation of targeted medication could be fast on the heels of drugs currently undergoing clinical trials to treat the symptoms of these diseases.
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