Century-Old Drug Is Promising for Autism

In a mouse model of autism, investigators studied symptom improvement with the drug suramin, a century-old drug that is primarily used for parasitic infections and which acts at purinergic receptors.

The mice were offspring of laboratory-mated animals and prenatally received either saline or poly IC, a compound that produces maternal immune activation and autism-like behaviors in offspring. At 6 months, an age equivalent to 30 years in humans, male mice were randomized to suramin or saline.

Poly IC was associated with loss of sociality, a need for sameness, and impaired motor skills. With suramin, the asociality and sameness behaviors ceased in poly IC mice; 5 weeks after suramin was discontinued, these behaviors returned. In a separate postm…