Rett syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes intellectual disabilities, autism, and physical deformities, has no cure. However, a small clinical trial has found that a growth factor known as IGF1 can help treat some symptoms of the disease.

Children who received the drug for four weeks showed improvements in mood and anxiety, as well as easier breathing, in a trial led by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital. MIT scientists first identified IGF1 as a possible treatment for Rett syndrome in 2009.

Read more: http://newsoffice.mit.edu/2014/rett-syndrome-drug-shows-promise-clinical-trial-0623