US researchers have launched the first clinical trial to test whether a century-old drug used for African sleeping sickness may help treat children with autism.
In previous research, Robert K Naviaux at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and colleagues found that a single injection of suramin reversed symptoms of ASD in mouse models.
In the trial, suramin will be given as a single dose through an intravenous line. Since suramin treatment for autism is unprecedented, Naviaux emphasised it is not known whether suramin will produce any beneficial effect in humans.