Possible Cure For Autism
 

http://science.slashdot.org/article..../02/19/2252244

Possible Cure For Autism

Henry V .009 writes "Scientists in New Jersey are claiming that children
with autism are unable to metabolize key fatty acids that fight
brain-damaging inflammations. They have already developed urine/blood tests
to identify at-risk children. A preventive cure to autism may be as simple
as a 'therapeutic cocktail' of fatty acids. Human trials could start later
this year."

Possible Cure For Autism
 

"Jan Drew" wrote:

http://science.slashdot.org/article..../02/19/2252244

Possible Cure For Autism

Henry V .009 writes "Scientists in New Jersey are claiming that children
with autism are unable to metabolize key fatty acids that fight
brain-damaging inflammations. They have already developed urine/blood tests
to identify at-risk children. A preventive cure to autism may be as simple
as a 'therapeutic cocktail' of fatty acids. Human trials could start later
this year."


There goes all those dollars being gouged by the chealationers. It
looks like they were wrong all the time.
--
Peter Bowditch aa #2243
The Millenium Project http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles
Australian Council Against Health Fraud http://www.acahf.org.au
Australian Skeptics http://www.skeptics.com.au
To email me use my first name only at ratbags.com

Possible Cure For Autism
 

On Feb 20, 7:12 pm, "Jan Drew" wrote:
http://science.slashdot.org/article..../02/19/2252244

Possible Cure For Autism

Henry V .009 writes ...

I'm Henry the 5th I am
Henry the 5th, I am, I am
I got married to the widow next door
She's been married seven times before
And every one was an Henry (Henry)
She wouldn't have a Willy or a Sam (no Sam)
I'm her eighth old man, I'm Henry
Henry the fifth I am

~ HH

and HAND :-)

Possible Cure For Autism
 

On Feb 21, 12:12 am, "Jan Drew" wrote:
http://science.slashdot.org/article..../02/19/2252244

Possible Cure For Autism

Henry V .009 writes "Scientists in New Jersey are claiming that children
with autism are unable to metabolize key fatty acids that fight
brain-damaging inflammations. They have already developed urine/blood tests
to identify at-risk children. A preventive cure to autism may be as simple
as a 'therapeutic cocktail' of fatty acids. Human trials could start later
this year."

Sounds like a possible cure for *one* *cause* of autism. Not a cure
for autism, not even if the original cause of that autism was this
inflamation.

That is, the problem with inflamation is not likely to be the
inflamation itself but rather the damage it causes. That damage, once
done, is irreversible.

Even so, the inflamation they are referring to is unlikely to continue
throughout life anyway. For example, if autism is caused by pre-natal
rubella (a known cause of autism) the brain inflamation would have
ONLY occurred prior to birth, and yet the autism symptoms continue
throughout life.

I even doubt that inflamation is as common a cause as they think,
anyway. There is a tendency to assume that faster-than-average brain
growth in autism is swelling due to inflammation, but although I've
lost the references, I have read strong evidence showing that this
growth is in fact genuine brain growth (greater numbers of neurons
being created). Rapid brain growth in itself can be sufficient to
disrupt the processes that wire up the innate connections due to the
way the synapses are guided to their target neurons, creating a
seemingly paradoxical situation in which there are a lot of neurons
but basic innate systems are disrupted.

This doesn't mean that the process they observed *can't* happen, or
for that matter that the treatment can't be useful to at least some
people. If inflamation is causing ongoing damage for some people
throughout life, then the obvious benefit to treatment is to put an
end to the ongoing deterioration.

However, here is a little extra food for thought...

The most common cause of inflamation is stress.

Stress also disrupts fat metabolism.

They may not be observing the causes of autism at all - they may
simply be observing the symptoms of stress resulting from autism. That
there is a possibility of a feedback cycle where the stress causes
inflamation making the autism worse isn't that surprising - this kind
of thing often happens. For instance, stress also damages parts of the
brain that are responsible for regulating the stress response - the
more stress you experience, the more likely you are to experience more
severe and longer lasting stress in the future. This is probably why
anxiety disorders and depression get more severe as time goes on.

Possible Cure For Autism
 

"Ninereeds" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Feb 21, 12:12 am, "Jan Drew" wrote:
http://science.slashdot.org/article..../02/19/2252244

Possible Cure For Autism

Henry V .009 writes "Scientists in New Jersey are claiming that children
with autism are unable to metabolize key fatty acids that fight
brain-damaging inflammations. They have already developed urine/blood
tests
to identify at-risk children. A preventive cure to autism may be as
simple
as a 'therapeutic cocktail' of fatty acids. Human trials could start
later
this year."

Sounds like a possible cure for *one* *cause* of autism. Not a cure
for autism, not even if the original cause of that autism was this
inflamation.



People have to remember that. Autism is not a specific disease but a
symptom. If it were know exactly what it is and only one thing, we would
have a cure quickly.

Possible Cure For Autism
 

" vernon" stilthere@athere wrote in message
m...
...

People have to remember that. Autism is not a specific disease but a
symptom. If it were know exactly what it is and only one thing, we would
have a cure quickly.

We know exactly what sickle-cell anemia is. We know the exact genetic cause.
There is no cure, only treatment.

So, I believe, your statement is in error.

Jeff

Possible Cure For Autism
 

On Feb 21, 12:12?am, "Jan Drew" wrote:
http://science.slashdot.org/article..../02/19/2252244

Possible Cure For Autism

Henry V .009 writes "Scientists in New Jersey are claiming that children
with autism are unable to metabolize key fatty acids that fight
brain-damaging inflammations. They have already developed urine/blood tests
to identify at-risk children. A preventive cure to autism may be as simple
as a 'therapeutic cocktail' of fatty acids. Human trials could start later
this year."

They are always looking for illness, defining illness, treating
illness, illness illness illness.

Possible Cure For Autism
 

"Jeff" wrote in message
news:5E0Dh.3436$Cr1.971@trnddc08...

" vernon" stilthere@athere wrote in message
m...
...

People have to remember that. Autism is not a specific disease but a
symptom. If it were know exactly what it is and only one thing, we would
have a cure quickly.

We know exactly what sickle-cell anemia is. We know the exact genetic
cause. There is no cure, only treatment.

So, I believe, your statement is in error.

Jeff

Really?

You better tell the labs that.
You can't compare genes to a disease.

Just in case you didn't know, there is no cure for being born black either.

Possible Cure For Autism
 

" vernon" stilthere@athere wrote in message
m...

"Jeff" wrote in message
news:5E0Dh.3436$Cr1.971@trnddc08...

" vernon" stilthere@athere wrote in message
m...
...

People have to remember that. Autism is not a specific disease but a
symptom. If it were know exactly what it is and only one thing, we
would have a cure quickly.

We know exactly what sickle-cell anemia is. We know the exact genetic
cause. There is no cure, only treatment.

So, I believe, your statement is in error.

Jeff

Really?

You better tell the labs that.
You can't compare genes to a disease.

A mutation in the hemoglobin gene is responsible sickle cell anemia. Linus
Pauling figured this out in 1949.

The point is that it was known what the cause is over fifty years, but no
cure is known. So even if we knew what the cause(s) of autism is, that
doesn't mean we would know what the cure is.

Another example is Tay-Sachs disease. The cause of the disease is a mutation
in the gene for Hexasaminidase A. Yet, there is no cure for it.

Knowing the cause of a disease means we know the cure for it.

Just in case you didn't know, there is no cure for being born black
either.

There is nothing to cure. Nothing wrong with being black. In fact, my
ancestors were black. So were yours.

Jeff

Possible Cure For Autism
 

"Jeff" wrote in message
news:klrDh.1561$CG5.469@trnddc03...

" vernon" stilthere@athere wrote in message
m...

"Jeff" wrote in message
news:5E0Dh.3436$Cr1.971@trnddc08...

" vernon" stilthere@athere wrote in message
m...
...

People have to remember that. Autism is not a specific disease but a
symptom. If it were know exactly what it is and only one thing, we
would have a cure quickly.

We know exactly what sickle-cell anemia is. We know the exact genetic
cause. There is no cure, only treatment.

So, I believe, your statement is in error.

Jeff

Really?

You better tell the labs that.
You can't compare genes to a disease.

A mutation in the hemoglobin gene is responsible sickle cell anemia. Linus
Pauling figured this out in 1949.

The point is that it was known what the cause is over fifty years, but no
cure is known. So even if we knew what the cause(s) of autism is, that
doesn't mean we would know what the cure is.

Another example is Tay-Sachs disease. The cause of the disease is a
mutation in the gene for Hexasaminidase A. Yet, there is no cure for it.

Knowing the cause of a disease means we know the cure for it.

This should have been "knowing the cause of the a disease does not mean we
know the cure for it."

Mea Culpa.

Jeff
Just in case you didn't know, there is no cure for being born black
either.

There is nothing to cure. Nothing wrong with being black. In fact, my
ancestors were black. So were yours.

Jeff