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March 8 2012

Partial rescue of Rett syndrome by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) oil

Evidence of enhanced oxidative stress (O.S.) and lipid peroxidation has been reported in patients with Rett syndrome (RTT).

A significant reduction in the clinical severity (in particular, motor-related signs, nonverbal communication deficits, and breathing abnormalities) together with a significant decrease in all the examined O.S. markers was observed in the PUFAs supplemented patients, whereas no significant changes were evidenced in the untreated group.

For the first time, these findings strongly suggest that a dietary intervention in this genetic disease at an early stage of its natural history can lead to a partial clinical and biochemical rescue.