SCHAFER AUTISM REPORT "Healing Autism:

No Finer a Cause on the Planet"

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December 09, 2002 Promote Your Event - Free! - Send a CALENDAR LISTING:

ADVOCACY

* WashPost Recap: New Vaccine Clause Angers Parents of Autistic

* Burton Seeks Openness In Federal Vaccine Autism Proceedings Wash, D.C.

RESEARCH

* COMMENTARY: The MMR-Autism Debate: How Relevant is the Latest Study from Denmark?

* Jewels That May Help Explain Behavioral Disorders Found Among 'Junk' DNA

* Secret Plan To Breed Monkeys For England Research

[ABSTRACTS]

* Retardation Role in Cognitive & Adaptive Behavior for those with Autism

* The Autistic Spectrum: Subgroups, Boundaries, And Treatment

* Tuberin Activates Rho And Regulates Cell Adhesion And Migration

TREATMENT

* Japanese Town to Continue Dolphin Project/Medicine Show

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT

READERS' POSTS

ADVOCACY

WashPost Recap: New Vaccine Clause Angers Parents of Autistic Amendment Buried in Homeland Security Law Restricts Right to Sue Makers of Drug Preservative

Thomas Brinker loves to sing and play with string. He watches ABC News anchor Peter Jennings on television every night and shouts: "Tickle Peter Jennings." He's 8 now, but his attention span is short and his temper flares easily.

Thomas has autism, a condition his parents believe was caused by a simple childhood immunization. "We're waiting for his first normal moment," said his mother, Donna Brinker of Glen Mills, Pa.

It was Donna Brinker's temper that flared when she learned that Congress had quietly restricted her right to sue Eli Lilly and Co. and other manufacturers of Thimerosal, the mercury-based vaccine preservative she believes caused her son's condition. The change came in two paragraphs tacked onto the massive Homeland Security Act just days before Congress approved the legislation in November.

The Brinkers are among 800 families in more than a dozen states that have filed similar cases seeking compensation for the costs of their children's autism. Under the new law, signed by President Bush Nov. 25, the parents are required to file claims with a special administrative court under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program before they can take their cases to civil court.

The changes could sharply reduce parents' chances of prevailing in civil courts, where damage awards normally could be much higher than those in the "vaccine court." The federal program covers claims for medical and education expenses, but damages for pain, suffering and death are limited to $250,000. Lawyers for the plaintiffs say their awards would likely be higher if they could first take their cases to state courts, where civil juries are known to award millions of dollars in medical injury cases.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has filed a request to restrict the use of information gathered in vaccine court proceedings in subsequent civil court cases, another potential obstacle for the plaintiffs.

"I felt betrayed," Brinker said of the new legislation. "I believe in protecting our homeland, but it petrifies me to think that our nation would protect any industry at the expense of our children."

Penny Starr-Ashton, of Drexel Hill, Pa., whose autistic 6-year-old daughter, Maddie, is another plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit filed in Pennsylvania in July, said it is particularly painful to have the provision wrapped in the flag.

"Who doesn't want a safer country?" she asked. "But who's going to protect me? Who's going to protect my child?"

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development estimates that between 1 in 500 and 1 in 1,000 children is diagnosed with autism in the United States each year. Initial studies in the 1960s found four to five cases of autism in every 10,000 people, although the institute cautions that some of the increase could be due to changes in reporting and diagnosing the disease.

A study by the University of California at Davis found that a third of California parents of autistic children diagnosed in the mid-1990s blame vaccines for their children's illnesses.

Congress created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program in 1986 to address growing concerns about vaccine safety. Claims are filed with the Department of Health and Human Services through the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The program has paid out 1,775 claims totaling $1.4 billion and is funded by a 75-cent surcharge on every child vaccination.

Brinker said parents of children with signs of mercury poisoning can spend up to $20,000 a year out of pocket. Thomas is undergoing chelation therapy to draw metals out of his body and is on a strict diet. His parents take him to a specialist in Louisiana for treatment, and his mother travels to Mexico to get drugs that are not approved in the United States.

Beyond today's expenses, Brinker worries about supporting Thomas in the long term. "The mercury preservative has deprived Thomas of having a normal life," she said. "That our nation would protect such a killer is beyond comprehension."

Aside from potentially lower awards, Thomas Brinker and Maddie Ashton will have another problem in vaccine court, said their lawyer, Tobi Millrood. Like many children, they were diagnosed with autism more than three years after their vaccinations, beyond the time permitted to file under the program's rules.

Some states, including Oregon, Florida, Louisiana, Illinois and California, had ruled that they had jurisdiction over Thimerosal cases, said John Kim, a Houston lawyer who argued against the government's request to close vaccine court records. "Now I guess this new provision in the Homeland Security Act trumps that," Kim said.

Meanwhile, all Thimerosal cases have been put on hold at vaccine court while the court grapples with the scientific debate over the possible causes of autism. The Office of the Special Master, which oversees procedural issues at vaccine court, expects 3,000 to 5,000 filings.

Parents outraged about the last-minute change point to Eli Lilly, the Indianapolis drug maker, as its biggest beneficiary. Lilly invented Thimerosal and manufactured it until the 1980s. The preservative is 50 percent mercury by weight, and had been used in vaccines since the 1930s. Lilly is a defendant in 200 Thimerosal-related lawsuits.

"It's turned into being about money," Brinker said. "Parents with kids with autism don't have the money to give to congressmen. It turns out whoever has the most money wins."

The provision in the Homeland Security bill was originally written by Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), a physician, as part of broader legislation aimed at helping drug companies produce vaccines after post-Sept. 11, 2001, concerns about smallpox and anthrax. The number of U.S. vaccine manufacturers has dropped to four, with companies complaining of low profit margins, manufacturing problems and fear of liability for injury.

Edward G. Sagebiel, a spokesman for Lilly, said his company had no role in pushing the last-minute legislative changes. "We express sympathy for the parents and the children who have suffered adverse reactions," he said. "However, the lawsuits that have been filed against Lilly and other manufacturers are not supported by science."

The House Government Reform Committee has scheduled a hearing on vaccine safety for Tuesday.

In 1999, the Food and Drug Administration conducted a review of Thimerosal and found no evidence of harm beyond limited cases of hypersensitivity to the vaccine. But the same year, the Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health Service recommended that Thimerosal be removed from vaccines, partly out of fear that parents would stop immunizing their children and create a bigger public health problem.

In October 2001, the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, said there was no evidence that Thimerosal caused autism, but it did say the theory was "biologically plausible."

Most recently, on Nov. 30, the British medical journal the Lancet published a study showing that infants who received vaccines containing Thimerosal had levels of mercury in their blood that are within federal limits.

Starr-Ashton remains unconvinced. "I don't believe anything that is 50 percent mercury by weight is safe," she said. She noted reports of health damage caused by mercury in fish, thermometers and dental fillings. "I'm not that dumb."

The debate over science has become a furor over the democratic process in the tight-knit community of parents of children with autism that is linked by the Internet and community support groups.

"Nobody is owning up to it," Brinker said. "It is so underhanded. I just can't believe our government would do this. We're not going to back down on this issue. We will not be silent."

Starr-Ashton said she is not against vaccines, especially because she taught in a school for the deaf for many years: "I saw first-hand the damage done by rubella."

But now she does not know who to trust. "Here I was, a dutiful parent taking my child to do what the government and the Academy of Pediatrics said I should do to protect my child against disease," Starr-Ashton said. "Something went terribly wrong. I need answers."

© 2002 The Washington Post Company

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Burton Seeks Openness In Federal Vaccine Autism Proceedings Washington, D.C.

[From Burton's office.]

Chairman Dan Burton (R-IN) this week wrote to Attorney General John Ashcroft asking him to withdraw a Justice Department motion seeking to place an indefinite seal on evidence gathered in a federal proceeding to determine if there is a link between childhood vaccines and autism.

The Justice Department's controversial motion came in the Federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

Hundreds of families are seeking compensation under the program asserting that a childhood vaccine caused autism in their children. A special master overseeing the cases has ordered an intensive fact finding procedure named the "Omnibus Autism Proceeding." The Justice Department motion seeks to keep all information submitted by government agencies sealed from public view.

In his December 4 letter, Chairman Burton wrote: "The interest of the Federal government should not be to protect any particular party in this matter.

The interest of the Federal government should be to find the truth and lay it out for all to see. I urge you to instruct the appropriate officials to withdraw this motion and allow this proceeding to move forward unencumbered." Previously, Chairman Burton wrote to President Bush on November 21, 2002, urging him to host a White House conference on autism and to begin a national effort to determine why autism has reached epidemic proportions in the United States.

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RESEARCH - COMMENTARY

The MMR-Autism Debate: How Relevant is the Latest Study from Denmark?

Which is true? The study by Meldgaard Madsen et al (N Engl J Med

2002;347:1477-82) was commissioned to find out whether MMR vaccinations was linked to autism.

The study was commissioned to clear the MMR vaccine.

Given that the CDC has yet to look into the medical illnesses of children with late-onset autism, it is more than likely that the CDC hierarchy was aware of the anticipated results of the study- to exonerate

MMR-- before a decision was made to co-fund it.

Melgaard Madsen’s first sentence actually sets the tone: “It has been suggested that vaccination against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) is a cause of autism”. Parents whose children have been investigated (by endoscopies, colonoscopies, biopsies, spinal taps, PCR testing, viral cultures and antibody studies) believe that the positive findings in their children more than suggest that MMR has played a role in their child’s autism.

The study essentially goes on to compare the prevalence of autism in a group of children, who had received the MMR vaccine and in another group who had not. Their conclusion was that “overall there was no increase in the risk of autistic disorder and other autistic-spectrum disorders among vaccinated children as compared with unvaccinated children.” The authors can only claim that this statement pertains to Denmark.

Thus, even if the study findings were meaningful in Denmark, they are totally irrelevant to the situation in the United States, because of differences in the actual vaccines administered and overall vaccination practices. Also noteworthy is the fact that many physicians and parents in Denmark had serious doubts about the MMR vaccine’s efficacy and safety, as evidenced by decreased vaccination rates.

A limited Medline search for “Measles Denmark” easily yielded the following abstracts. They are listed in their entirety and in their chronological order of publication. After each abstract, certain statements are highlighted, and followed by comments as indicated.

Dan Med Bull 1988 Apr;35(2):185-7 Prevalence of IgG-antibodies to mumps and measles virus in non-vaccinated children.

Glikmann G, Petersen I, Mordhorst CH.

Ornithosis Department, Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen, Denmark.

The prevalence of mumps and measles IgG antibodies in a randomly selected population of children was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) before routine measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination was introduced in Denmark. Testing of sera from about 2,520 Danish children between one and 17 years of age showed that mumps antibodies were acquired at an early age. The peak acquisition rate was between the ages of four and five; before the age of 15, 90% of children had antibodies to mumps. Immunity to measles occurred at an even earlier age; more than 50% of four-year-old and nearly all (98%) nine year-old children had IgG antibodies to measles virus. The study showed that about 10% of the young adult Danish population was still susceptible to mumps infection whereas only about 1% of individuals at age 17 had not acquired immunity to measles virus.

PMID: 3359817 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Please note: ”... nearly all (98%) nine year-old children had IgG antibodies to measles virus” and “… only about 1% of individuals at age 17 had not acquired immunity to measles virus."

Comment: Measles is more dangerous than mumps and rubella during childhood. Mumps is mostly of concern in adult males and rubella in adult females during their child bearing years. The authors have demonstrated, by accurate serological testing, that 98% of 9-year old children and 99% of those aged 17, were immune to measles BEFORE the introduction of the MMR vaccine into Denmark. It is not clear from the abstract whether the described almost total immunity was from natural disease (cellular immunity), or as a result of the administration of the single (monovalent) vaccine.

*** Ugeskr Laeger 1989 Sep 18;151(38):2418-22 Knowledge of, attitudes toward and participation in the new vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella during the first 2 years [Article in Danish] Ronne T, Kaaber K, Petersen I.

The new vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) for children and the new vaccination for rubella for adult women were introduced in Denmark on 1.1.1987. An account is presented of 1) knowledge about and attitudes to the new vaccinations, investigated three months after commencement of the programme as assessed by means of a marketing investigation and 2) participation in vaccination during the first two years after introduction of the vaccination programme assessed by registration of services in the Danish National Health Service. The calculated participation in the MMR vaccination programme at the age of 15 months was found to be 72% and 31% at the age of 12 years.

The calculated participation in the rubella vaccination programme at the age of 18 years was 13% in 1988 and even less for the remaining women. 95% of persons with children aged 0-12 years in the household who were questioned had heard about the new vaccinations for children and more than 50% had detailed knowledge about MMR vaccination.

More than 10% were against MMR vaccination mainly because they considered that it was better for children to have these infections naturally. 90% of the women questioned knew why adult women were offered vaccination for rubella, although the percentage was less in the younger women. Compared with the goals established, participation in the MMR vaccination programme is insufficient.

Participation in the rubella vaccination programme for adult women is entirely inadequate. The reasons for defective participation and proposed improvements are discussed. It is important that general practitioners and health nurses instruct parents about these possibilities.

PMID: 2800014 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Please note: “Compared with the goals established, participation in the MMR vaccination programme is insufficient."

Comment: Within two years, the vaccine authorities in Denmark were already concerned about MMR vaccine uptake.

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Jewels That May Help Explain Behavioral Disorders Found Among 'Junk' DNA

Scientists have been looking for genes that can explain behavioral disorders for 20 years without much success. According to L. Alison McInnes of Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, that may be because they have been concentrating their efforts in the wrong places in the genome.

Speaking on Dec. 8 at the annual meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, McInnes advised that those interested in genetic links to behavior should start looking at places in the genome that produce special molecules called small non-messenger RNA

(smnRNA) rather than concentrating on genes that code for proteins.

Current genetic screening techniques do not pick up these sequences because they are very small and not much is known about their structure. So McInnes and her colleagues at Mt. Sinai have created a computational and molecular screening technique designed specifically to look for smnRNA molecules produced by regions in the genome that have been associated with behavioral disorders. Furthermore, they have used this method to successfully identify such molecules in the first few genes that they investigated, she reported.

The existence of smnRNAs has been known for some time. Until recently, they have been generally dismissed as unimportant. New studies are finding that they are actually quite abundant and involved in a wide variety of biological processes. As a result, some scientists are beginning to speculate that they may represent an entirely new class of gene and type of gene activity.

McInnes cited the theoretical work of John Mattick and Michael Gagen at the University of Queensland in Brisbane. Last year they published a lengthy paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution in which they argued that, rather than being useless, smnRNAs and introns – the sequences in the genome between genes that code for proteins that have been called junk DNA – form a powerful network that can turn ordinary genes on and off at the proper times.

"It appears that smnRNA may be especially relevant for understanding behavioral differences," McInnes said, "because they appear to be particularly enriched in the brain. They represent a swift and energy efficient means of regulating gene expression and may be especially important for rapid regulatory events."

Lack of expression of an smnRNA has already been strongly associated with one neuropsychiatric disorder, Prader Willi syndrome, McInnes reported. Prader-Willi syndrome is characterized by abnormally poor muscle tone and feeding difficulties in early infancy, followed by excessive eating and gradual development of morbid obesity. It is also accompanied by cognitive impairment.

In the initial trial of their new screen, the Mt. Sinai researchers identified a possible smnRNA molecule produced by an intron of the human corticotrophin-releasing hormone gene. Corticotrophin releasing hormone

(CRH) plays a key role in the response of humans and other mammals to external threats. It acts at a number of sites in the nervous system to control automatic, behavioral and immunological responses of stress. Alterations in CRH neural activity appear to contribute to a number of mental illnesses including depression, anxiety disorders and anorexia nervosa. In addition, the CRH smnRNA appears to form a complimentary match with a sequence in an untranslated region associated with a receptor, called the NMDA-glutamate receptor, which is widely implicated in schizophrenia and other degenerative neurological disorders.

The members of McInnes' research team are Esther Richler, Tara L. Lauriat, Eric Mesh and Gary Benson from the biomathematics department. Former team member Michael Inman also contributed to the research. The team also acknowledges the valuable input of Jerome Cavaille, a pioneer in the discovery of snmRNA molecules. The project was supported by the Seaver Center for Autism Research.

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Secret Plan To Breed Monkeys For England Research

A primate breeding centre to give scientists access to live monkeys for experiments is to be established at the taxpayer's expense at the military research centre Porton Down in Wiltshire, The Independent has learned.

The centre, where macaque monkeys will be bred for experimentation, will be set up by the Medical Research Council (MRC), a government agency, despite vocal opposition. The move has angered animals rights activists who want to hold the Government to its promise not to increase the level of testing on animals.

Government sources say that ministers are seeking to "guarantee" a supply of monkeys for experimental purposes and that they "refuse to be put off" by the outcry over an application by Cambridge University to build a £24m primate brain research centre or by long-running protests against research by Huntingdon Life Sciences. The Porton Down centre, which will open next summer, will be housed in the high-security Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, where medical counter measures for biological agents are developed. The monkeys are expected to be used by research teams at the centre and around the country.

Last night, anti-vivisection organisations questioned whether the monkeys at Porton Down would be used in experiments concerning chemical and biological warfare tests to help develop vaccines in response to the 11 September terrorist attacks. They accused the Government of reneging on a promise before the 1997 election to reduce the number of live animals used in experiments.

The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) said the establishment of a breeding centre dedicated to supplying monkeys to scientists would increase their use and set back plans to find alternatives. Sarah Kite, of the union, said: "This new government-supported secret monkey farm will simply increase the already controversial use of primates in research. This is an outrageous betrayal of the British people who were led to believe that this Government had a commitment to reduce animal experiments.

"The opening of this primate breeding farm in the UK will inevitably result in a surplus of lab monkeys who will then be touted around universities like left-over stock."

The MRC, which funds research into treatments for diseases including Alzheimer's, said the animals would be treated humanely and would not be lent to commercial companies for experiments.

A spokesman said: "It's a facility for the care and housing of monkeys. They are opening it in the second quarter of next year. They are macaques. They are going to be used for academic medical research. It is not for industrial or commercial use. The facility will operate to the best possible standards in academic research."

Macaques are favoured by scientists for experimentation because of their genetic likeness to humans. They are already used for brain experiments in the UK.

One MRC-funded piece of research into the roles of transmitter chemicals in the brain involved sawing off the top of a monkey's skull, injecting toxins in to the brain, or removing an area of it – usually by suction – and then refitting the top of the skull over the damaged brain.

Scientists developing treatments for disorders including Parkinson's, schizophrenia and autism believe there is no alternative to experimenting on monkeys. Some have threatened to move their research abroad if they are denied access to tests on primates.

But critics believe that many monkeys are used unnecessarily where alternatives are available and have called for a tightening of the regulations. MEPs voted recently to ban the use of wild primates and to review the use of all monkeys in experiments. It is not known if macaques for the laboratory will be wild or bred from existing captive populations.

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[ABSTRACTS]

Retardation Role in Cognitive & Adaptive Behavior for those with Autism 'The relation between general cognitive level and adaptive behavior domains in individuals with autism with and without co-morbid mental retardation.'

ds=12462353&dopt=Abstract <- - address ends here.

Bolte S, Poustka F.

J. W. Goethe University, Frankfurt/M., Germany. Boelte@em.uni-frankfurt.de

This study examined the association between adaptive behavior and general cognitive level in individuals with autism or PDD-NOS with and without comorbid mental retardation.

Data from the screening version of the Vineland Adaptive Scales and the Wechsler Intelligence Scales were analysed in a sample of 67 subjects.

While in the higher functioning individuals (IQ > 70, n = 34) IQ and adaptive behavior level differed significantly, performances were fairly comparable in subjects showing lower cognitive functioning (IQ < 70, n = 33).

Regression models revealed a higher correlation between IQ and single adaptive behavior domains in the non-mentally retarded participants, with the domain Communication reaching the highest predictive power of the single adaptive behavior areas.

Findings indicate, the relationship between adaptive and cognitive function in autistic disorders is mediated by the presence of a qualitative reduction of intelligence.

Methodological limitations of the study are discussed.

PMID: 12462353 [PubMed - in process]

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The Autistic Spectrum: Subgroups, Boundaries, And Treatment.

ds=12462862&dopt=Abstract <- - address ends here.

Willemsen-Swinkels SH, Buitelaar JK.

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands. s.h.n.willemsen@psych.azu.nl

There is consensus about the disorders that comprise the autistic spectrum, with autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, and PDD-NOS as the most typical examples and Rett's disorder and disintegrative disorder as the other components.

Important controversies regarding the precise definitions of autistic spectrum disorders and the boundaries between the milder manifestations of those disorders, particularly PDD-NOS, and non-autistic conditions have not been and cannot be resolved fully as long as there is no known biologic cause or consistent biologic or psychological marker.

This includes issues as basic as whether the autistic spectrum is a predominantly unitary entity or a collection of more or less similar phenotypes with multiple, varying etiologies.

This is why the highest long-term priority in the area of definite diagnosis is the search for biologic marker(s) for autism and related autism spectrum disorders [91].

In the absence of a medical test to unequivocally diagnose autism, definitions of autism and related conditions are based only on manifestations in overt behavior, with all the unreliability this entails.

In the future, the discovery of biologic correlates, causes, and pathogenetic pathways will undoubtedly change the way in which autism is diagnosed and lead to a new nosology [95].

Until that time the definitions in the current versions of the classification systems should be considered in a state of evolution.

The key problem of the current classification systems is the fact that the boundaries between the various disorders are fuzzy.

Instead of a categorical approach, a more useful description might be that of "autistic spectrum disorder," which reflects the range of severity of symptoms.

Such a dimensional understanding of PDD is useful to clinicians, who may otherwise use nonspecific terms to avoid the categorical diagnosis of autism [31].

Rutter and Schopler [96] argued for separate clinical and research schemes because clinical and research needs are different.

For research purposes it is desirable to have as much direct comparability across studies as possible.

The focus is on a high degree of homogeneity within diagnostic groupings.

A price must be paid for this detailed specification, and the main cost lies in the proportion of cases left undiagnosed.

For example, there may be good scientific reasons for a narrowly defined categorical diagnosis that includes only individuals who definitely and clearly have a specifically defined condition and excludes individuals who may have the condition.

For clinicians and educators, classification helps guide the selection of treatments for an individual.

From this point of view, broader diagnostic concepts may be most appropriate [95].

PMID: 12462862 [PubMed - in process]

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Tuberin Activates Rho And Regulates Cell Adhesion And Migration 'Tuberin, the tuberous sclerosis complex 2 tumor suppressor gene product, regulates Rho activation, cell adhesion and migration.'

ds=12466966&dopt=Abstract <- - address ends here.

Astrinidis A, Cash TP, Hunter DS, Walker CL, Chernoff J, Henske EP. Fox Chase Cancer Center, 7701 Burholme Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, PA 19111, USA.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a tumor suppressor gene syndrome characterized by seizures, mental retardation, autism, and tumors of the brain, kidney, heart, retina, and skin.

TSC is caused by mutations in either TSC1 or TSC2, both of which are tumor suppressor genes.

Hamartin, the protein product of TSC1, was found to interact with the ezrin-radixin-moesin family of cytoskeletal proteins and to activate the small GTPase Rho.

To determine whether tuberin, the TSC2 product, can also activate Rho, we stably expressed full-length human tuberin in two cell types: MDCK cells and ELT3 cells.

ELT3 cells lack endogenous tuberin expression.

We found that expression of human tuberin in both MDCK and ELT3 cells was associated with an increase in the amount of Rho-GTP, but not in Rac1-GTP or cdc42-GTP.

Tuberin expression increased cell adhesion in both cell types, and decreased chemotactic cell migration in ELT3 cells.

In MDCK cells, there was a decrease in the amount of total Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) and an increase in the fraction of phosphorylated FAK.

These findings demonstrate for the first time that tuberin activates Rho and regulates cell adhesion and migration.

Pathways involving Rho activation may have relevance to the clinical manifestations of TSC, including pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1205962 PMID: 12466966 [PubMed - in process]

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TREATMENT

Japanese Town to Continue Dolphin Project/Medicine Show

The city of Sanuki, Kagawa Prefecture, is to continue for another year covering the cost of keeping two dolphins in captivity while studying the feasibility of opening a dolphin therapy clinic.

The decision to retain the dolphins through to at least March 2004 came after much debate about the 25 million yen [US$200,000] cost of feeding them.

Dolphin therapy was developed in the United States in the 1980s and is credited with curing people of autism and stress-related atopic skin diseases.

Sanuki has been considering opening a clinic for such therapy as part of an extensive development project that will incorporate community facilities and athletic fields.

In preparation, the city released a male and a female dolphin in a pool between two landfill sites linked to the coast by a 100-meter walkway last December.

However, controversy erupted in June when the city office earmarked 25 million yen in the initial fiscal 2003 budget to cover the cost of feeding the dolphins. Some members of the assembly argued that the project was a waste of money, but others insisted it was worthwhile as it would attract many tourists.

At a press conference on Nov. 29, Sanuki Mayor Shinya Akazawa said: "It really depends on how many visitors we're going to get once the therapy clinic opens.

"We need to think about what kind of facilities we'll need and weigh up the costs and benefits."

Townsfolk also were divided over whether to continue holding the dolphins.

At a gathering in the city office on Nov. 23, the leader of a neighborhood residents association said: "The kids in town are really excited about having dolphins nearby. We could make the dolphin preserve into our main tourist attraction."

However, an assembly member said, "I don't think we should spend a lot of money on this project."

Meanwhile, the dolphins already are attracting sight-seers. On sunny weekend days, up to 1,000 people gather to watch them being trained. Trainers estimate that more than 92,000 people visited the reserve between December and October.

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Dear Mr. President,

I am a proud republican and a Texan! I not only voted for you, I continue to send my financial support to the NRCC. My parents from Beaumont have raised me to love this country and think like a republican. They not only have voted republican in every election but have given thousands of dollars in contributions. They sat at the same table with you on more than one occasion before you were even elected governor of this great state. You may or may not recall Mr. and Mrs. C. L. (Sonny & Dorothy) Sherman, but you made a lasting impression on them. And they passed on that impression to me.

However, I'm suffering a heavy heart right now. It seems that the Republicans are beginning to let me down and losing that "compassionate conservatism" you've spoken so much about. You see, I'm not only a passionate republican and fan of yours, I am an even more passionate mother of an autistic child. He is an adorable 10-year old boy named Austin.

With this new Homeland Security bill, my party has let me down. They're beginning to prove to the liberals that "compassionate conservatism" may be a contradiction in terms.

Please, Mr. President. I'm begging you to honor the requests of Congressman Dan Burton and call for a CONFERENCE ON AUTISM.

And - please don't let Eli Lily's power and money override the risks involved in autism. My little boy was a normal-developing child until he received a round of vaccines that most likely were laced with thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative. If there's a remote chance that their irresponsibility caused this, don't let this happen to another child. Let's get to the bottom of this.

- Janie Alley, Humble, TX

>>>>> CONGRESSMAN DAN BURTON IS CALLING ON THE PRESIDENT <<<<<

TO HAVE A WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON AUTISM. YOU

CAN SUPPORT REP. BURTON BY SENDING YOUR LETTER

URGING HIM TO DO SO AS WELL:

President George W. Bush

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

EMAIL: President George W. Bush: president@whitehouse.gov

(Make sure you send a copy of your letter to us: edit@doitnow.com)

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READERS' POSTS

Help! Due to job move, I am looking for good autism resources (great public/private schools, or a strong community of therapists) in one of these

communities: Seattle, Tucson/Phoenix, Champaign IL, Newark DE, Minn/St. Paul, or Austin TX. Please send any recommendations ASAP to bcyoung@frii.com!

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The first step for parents and other care givers who need help managing behavioral problems in children with autism or other neuropsychological disorders. Tennessee. Gary Brown, Ph.D Licensed Psychologist/HSP aba4autism.com.

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Auditory Integration Training, Space still available for December 21 to 30, 2002 in San Diego, CA. Berard Method, 2 times a day for 1/2 hour sessions for 10 days. Many families have found AIT to be of great benefit to their child with ASD, PDD, ADHD, CAPD and hypersensitivity to sounds. Contact terries@execpc.com

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Does anyone know how to join the lawsuit against Eli Lilly & Company on behalf of their thimerosal damaged child? roxannespring@earthlink.net

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I would like to hear from anyone that has any knowledge on carnosine. How it has affected their child, what dosages they have given, any progress that has been made, etc. Please respond to: Amy at keim3@iwon.com

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