Cognitive and behavioral improvement in adults with fragile X syndrome treated with metformin-two cases

Abstract

Background: The majority of individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS) have intellectual disability, behavioral problems, autism, and language deficits. IQ typically declines with age in boys with the full mutation. The results of preclinical studies demonstrated that metformin, a biguanide used to treat type 2 diabetes, rescues multiple phenotypes of FXS in both Drosophila and mouse models. Preliminary studies of patients with FXS demonstrated improvements in behavior. Methods: Here, we present two cases of individuals who have been treated with metformin clinically for one year. Results: Both patients demonstrated significant cognitive and behavioral improvements. They also improved eating habits and normalization of their weight percentiles. Conclusion: Metformin may be a candidate drug for treatment of several types of symptoms in individuals with FXS. © 2019 The Authors. Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.