Stanford researchers announce breakthrough drug that can reduce autism symptoms

Science is always evolving and finding ways to empower and connect people. Thousands of incredibly creative, wondrous concepts, ideas, and specimens are available for exploration. The human brain is one such specimen that's so remarkably complex, the mysteries behind it lead some people to seek answers for their entire lives.

One particular brain condition, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has been baffling scientists since they first recognized it. Researchers at Stanford might have just unlocked a drug that could offer an extremely effective, therapeutic solution.

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Science Advances published a 2025 study on ASD that found heightened activity in a specific region of the brain could be the underlying force behind the disorder's behaviors. They believe drugs like Z944, which have a calming effect upon this overactive part of the brain, could be the fix to the problem.

Studying the brainImage via Canva - Photo by KOS Chiropractic Integrative Health

Understanding the study

There is a section of the brain called the reticular thalamus (RT). While studying mice whose brain's RT neurons were firing too much and disrupting the normal pattern of activity in the brain, researchers were able to simulate signaling similar to human autism-like behaviors. Drug Z944, used to treat epilepsy, has a calming effect on this portion of the brain. The authors of the study wrote, "Our findings provide the evidence of RT hyperexcitability contributing to ASD-related behaviors and highlight the RT as a promising therapeutic target for managing ASD." They continued, “Notably, individuals with ASD often exhibit sensory processing abnormalities, sleep disturbances, and seizures, implicating a potential role of the thalamocortical (TC) circuit, a key system governing these functions."

Let's break that down with a simple analogy: think of this zone of the brain as a traffic signal, firing off red lights and green lights that happen faster than necessary. Scientists are looking for a way to slow the traffic lights down to run things smoothly and give motorists a safer way to travel through the light. In the same way, drug Z944 can slow down the hyperactive brain of the autistic person.

Autistic episodeImage via Canva - Photo by Sergey Novikov

What is autism?

To better understand autism, a good place to look is the National Library of Medicine. A study on ASD listed out some of the challenges people face with the disorder. Autistic people are susceptible to meltdowns and sensory overloads due to loud noises, bright lights, crowded places, or even a simple change of routine. Autistic people struggle to navigate basic social interactions and often have difficulty with their communication skills. People with ASD experience a range of difficulties surrounding emotional and behavioral problems, including self-injury, temper tantrums, aggression toward others, and general non-compliance.

Parents of autistic children benefit from lots of help such as intensive daily therapies, speech therapy, and occupational therapy that can take hours of time and require consistency. Problems can happen in social interactions with peers, like bullying and social isolation. Finding suitable programs, inclusive classrooms, and extracurricular activities that meet the needs of the child's abilities and comfort are all complicated challenges.

If you would like to learn more about autism, watch this helpful YouTube video just below:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

A 2021 study on parenting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder published in the National Library of Medicine writes:"It is widely accepted that ASD has an important impact on the lives of parents and the family in an emotional and dynamic context, but also from an economic dimension. This aspect of additional costs was mentioned by families when referring to the diversity of therapies and support that the children needed, which is also important in the context of parenting. Economic difficulties are stressful and constitute a risk factors that families need to deal with, which affect the patterns of parent–child interactions."As families learn to cope with the challenges of autism, the hope is that more discoveries like Z944 can help. Although recent studies have shown promising results, there is no current timeline for release, as research is still in the early stages.