The NIH's new autism research program is an exercise in throwing darts. Instead it should be following the signposts lit by decades of scientific discovery.
Hi Jill, I don't think all autism is innate. I don't want to challenge your experience but it is more complicated than you suggest. There are weaknesses in inherited immune systems and function, and the impact of MIA likely explains a lot, but the regression we experienced in the second year of our son's life was not inevitable. It was triggered by vaccines and it lead to a torrent of immune problems that culminated in a diagnosis of autism two years later.
I've written about this in more detail on the Autism Tribune on Substack but we suffered worsening insomnia, eczema and severe bowel problems alongside the neurological damage. It needs to be looked at properly. In our case, it needs to pick up from where Wakefield and colleagues were stopped. What's the connection between the immune system (inc the bowel) and severe autism? It is imperative that we stop the autism rate going up any further.
Writing from the UK I am delighted at what RFK and colleagues are doing - the future of our societies is at stake. I know the arguments are getting very intense but you are a long way ahead of what is happening here.
Yes this is imperative indeed. But in the UK (rates exceeding 3.3% of children) autism is a mere difference to be celebrated, right??! I agree that immune dysfunction is a big issue but this may also be innate. Could there be a 2-hit phenomenon, a predisposition plus a postnatal “hit”? I doubt it bc of the evidence for derailment of very early brain development, but perhaps this new effort will prove me wrong.
I'm very interested in the work of Dr. James Adams at the University of Arizona. With sequencing it has been demonstrated that the microbial populations of the gut of neurodiverse kids are distinctly different than their neurotypical counter parts. Microbial transplants (from fastidiously screened donors) have been shown to be safe and effective (in an enduring way) to alleviate many of the behaviours of autism. To follow on the theory that errors in gene expression are causing many of the symptoms one only needs to look to Ochratoxin and other mycotoxins to understand a plausible mechanism of action that is treatable!! Dr Adams is about to embark on Phase Three trials of Microbial Transplants in order to satisfy the dictates of the FDA. He is fundraising for this next stage.
I’d do a mix of human epidemiology, animal models, and basic reproductive toxicology. But none of those can be accomplished in the NIH program— the 2-generation datasets are generally foreign, + the program does not allow animal models.
Hi Jill, I don't think all autism is innate. I don't want to challenge your experience but it is more complicated than you suggest. There are weaknesses in inherited immune systems and function, and the impact of MIA likely explains a lot, but the regression we experienced in the second year of our son's life was not inevitable. It was triggered by vaccines and it lead to a torrent of immune problems that culminated in a diagnosis of autism two years later.
I've written about this in more detail on the Autism Tribune on Substack but we suffered worsening insomnia, eczema and severe bowel problems alongside the neurological damage. It needs to be looked at properly. In our case, it needs to pick up from where Wakefield and colleagues were stopped. What's the connection between the immune system (inc the bowel) and severe autism? It is imperative that we stop the autism rate going up any further.
Writing from the UK I am delighted at what RFK and colleagues are doing - the future of our societies is at stake. I know the arguments are getting very intense but you are a long way ahead of what is happening here.
Yes this is imperative indeed. But in the UK (rates exceeding 3.3% of children) autism is a mere difference to be celebrated, right??! I agree that immune dysfunction is a big issue but this may also be innate. Could there be a 2-hit phenomenon, a predisposition plus a postnatal “hit”? I doubt it bc of the evidence for derailment of very early brain development, but perhaps this new effort will prove me wrong.
I'm very interested in the work of Dr. James Adams at the University of Arizona. With sequencing it has been demonstrated that the microbial populations of the gut of neurodiverse kids are distinctly different than their neurotypical counter parts. Microbial transplants (from fastidiously screened donors) have been shown to be safe and effective (in an enduring way) to alleviate many of the behaviours of autism. To follow on the theory that errors in gene expression are causing many of the symptoms one only needs to look to Ochratoxin and other mycotoxins to understand a plausible mechanism of action that is treatable!! Dr Adams is about to embark on Phase Three trials of Microbial Transplants in order to satisfy the dictates of the FDA. He is fundraising for this next stage.
Good points. But what research project do you think the government should be funding? How can you test your theory?
I’d do a mix of human epidemiology, animal models, and basic reproductive toxicology. But none of those can be accomplished in the NIH program— the 2-generation datasets are generally foreign, + the program does not allow animal models.