www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2293113/New-drug-help-reverse-autism-tested-children-time-successful-clinical-trials-mice.html
"Preliminary results show that the drug called suramin, which is already used to treat sleeping sickness in Africa, corrects autism-like symptoms in mice.
At the molecular level, it normalises faulty brain connections, cell-to-cell signalling, and metabolic effects thought to underlie the disorder.
Professor Robert Naviaux, co-director of the Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Centre at the University of California in San Diego, said: 'Our theory suggests that autism happens because cells get stuck in a defensive metabolic mode and fail to talk to each other normally, which can interfere with brain development and function.
'We used a class of drugs that has been around for almost a century to treat other diseases to block the 'danger' signal in a mouse model, allowing cells to return to normal metabolism and restore cell communication.'
Professor Naviaux and his team believe both genetic and environmental causes of autism can be traced to a sustained cell danger response linked to immunity and inflammation.
'When cells are exposed to classical forms of dangers such as a virus, infection or toxic environmental substance, a defence mechanism is activated,' said the professor.
'This results in changes to metabolism and gene expression (activity) and reduces the communication between neighbouring cells. Simply put, when cells stop talking to each other, children stop talking.'"
Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.
SN children
Autism drug to be tested on children
CFSKate · 14/03/2013 10:38
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