Re: Discovery of Autism Gene Magazine Article

[Guest guest]

: thank you for providing this important article. I must tell

you--I see it as very important and very supportive of our theory

about mercury.

Certainly, as you point out, the section about the " less vigorous "

attack mounted by the immune systems of autistic children is very

much in line with our theory about a vulnerable subset.

The discovery of genetic material associated with male autistic

children is also very promising. Screening for this material would

alert prospective parents and medical caretakers to avoid vaccines

and alert them to the need to ensure there are as few toxic triggers

as possible in the child's environment. Also, genetic suseceptibilty

also could lead to the kind of nutritional interventions that are

currently helping so many of our children.

Davey's Dad

> This is from Discover Magazine August 2005 online . . .

>

> R & D

> Autism Gene Located

> By Kathy A. Svitil

> DISCOVER Vol. 26 No. 08 | August 2005 | Biology & Medicine

>

>

> A few decades ago, autism was routinely blamed on the

> " refrigerator mother " —a woman whose inability to bond

> stunted her child's emotional growth. Now autism is seen as a

complex

> condition that investigators are inching closer to deciphering.

>

> In a major development, UCLA geneticist Rita Cantor recently

> pinpointed the location of an autism gene. Cantor and her

colleagues

> analyzed the DNA of two large, unrelated groups of autism patients

> and their families. In both groups, the disorder was linked to a

> particular bit of genetic real estate on chromosome 17, called

> 17q21. The segment contains several genes, one of which raises the

> risk of autism. It was found only in boys with the disorder, which

> makes sense, Cantor says. Autism occurs much more frequently in

> males than in females. " It may be that this gene is expressed

> only in the brains of boys or that girls have protective factors, "

> Cantor says. Pinning down the actual gene could take another one

to

> four years. Although other autism genes almost certainly exist,

> Cantor says, the discovery is a " crucial first step " toward

> figuring out the cause of autism and developing treatments.

>

> (My comments: Of course they had to " discover " the autism gene.

> There is too much heat right now on the thimerosal issue so the

time

> is right to find the " gene " and put the thimerosal issue to rest

> once and for all.)

>

> Meanwhile, acting on a hunch that a faulty immune system may play

a

> part in triggering autism, immunologist Judy Van de Water of the

> University of California at investigated how the blood cells

> of autistic children react to foreign compounds like tetanus toxin

> and lipid molecules on the surface of Escherichia coli bacteria.

She

> discovered that the protective cells of autistic youngsters mount

a

> less vigorous defense against bacterial compounds than do those of

> normal children. The research adds fuel to the theory that

> environmental factors contribute to autism. " The immune system

> plays a huge role in neurodevelopment, so a defect there could

> affect the neurodevelopment of the child, " says Van de Water. Her

> work could lead to screening tests that identify—and perhaps

> protect—at-risk babies. " We may not catch everyone, " she

> says, " but if we could whittle down the number of affected kids,

> that would be great. "

>

> (My comments: Environmental, huh? like thimerosal perhaps, nah,

> this is an article about the " Autism Gene! " In the near future I

> predict, when they find the " specific gene, " pregnant women will

be

> asked if they want to take the genetic screening test for autism.

> And what if it happens to be " positive? " Will they then be told

they

> have the option to abort their " genetically damaged autistic

> child? " This is exactly what they mean when they say " whittle

down

> the number of affected kids, isn't it. " Yeah, wouldn't that be

> great. This " discovery " is exactly what I expected.)