Extending trust. A report of a potential therapy for some of the social behavior patterns associated with autism highlights the need for a societal dialog to discuss the ethical issues raised by these treatments.

摘要

Apaper suggesting that oxytocin can improve social skills of people suffering from autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has raised hopes that a 'cure' for some aspects of autism may be imminent. In this study (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 107, 4389-4394, 2010), E. Andari and colleagues gave oxytocin, a hormone previously linked to autism and known to be involved in regulating many social emotions (such as trust and the bond between mother and child), nasally to people diagnosed with high-functioning ASD.