Drug reverses autism-like brain changes in adult mice within hours

Departments Neurology Neurology Drug reverses autism-like brain changes in adult mice within hours, study finds Study links maternal inflammation to lasting autism-like traits in mice and identifies a brain pathway that may offer a new therapeutic target Credit: AdobeStock July 23, 2026 5 min read Key Takeaways In mice exposed to inflammation during pregnancy, the offspring developed lasting autism-like brain and behavior changes, suggesting that early inflammation can disrupt brain development in ways that persist into adulthood. A single dose of rapamycin rapidly improved several of those changes, including brain overactivity, seizure risk, sensory sensitivity, repetitive behaviors and abnormal brain functional network organization. The findings suggest that some autism-related brain changes may still be treatable in adulthood, pointing to possible therapeutic approaches that target the underlying pathway rather than only symptoms. The effects of rapamycin are temporary, and repeated dosing loses efficacy, making rapamycin, itself, an unlikely candidate as a broadly-used treatment.