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February 21, 2002        News Archive Search  www.feat.org/search/news.asp

RESEARCH

·        Promising Strides In Brain Cell Regeneration Research

·        IOM Report On Child Vaccinations Urges More Research

·        Autism Research Group Funds New Website: Genetics of Autism

·        Interleukin-2 and -6 Induce Behavioral-Activating Effects In Mice.

·        Reader’s Ads

 

 

Promising Strides In Brain Cell Regeneration Research

[By Lee Bowman, Scripps Howard News Service.]

http://nandotimes.com/healthscience/v-text/story/257819p-2411542c.html

Scientists may be moving closer to the day when neurologists can say “brain, heal thyself.”

Until recently, experts were sure that new brain cells were impossible for adults to come by, that all the gray matter we get is pretty much in place well before we reach adolescence.

But there’s new evidence that a few regions of the brain keep churning out new cells, and new hope that the precursors of those specialized cells can be coaxed into producing other types of brain cells needed to reverse or repair damaged regions.

Research on two tracks in rats was reported Monday during the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. Jack Parent, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Michigan Medical School, described experiments in which rats responded to injury from epileptic seizures or strokes by sending primitive neural cells into those areas and attempting to form new neurons.

The cells are called neuroblasts, about midway in development between a stem cell and a fully developed neuron.

“What’s fascinating is that neuroblasts responded similarly to both types of brain injury,” Parent said. “There’s some cue in common that activates their development and growth. We don’t know what it is, but we’re looking for growth factors that stimulate the proliferation and migration of precursor cells.”

Dr. Fred Gage, of the Salk Institute at the University of California-San Diego, has shown in culture dishes that precursor cells native to regions of the adult brain that normally generate only glial cells (“housekeeping” cells that provide support and nutrition to actual nerve cells) can also generate neurons after being exposed to a growth factor called FGF-2.

Gage and his colleagues have found cells that are responsive to the growth factor in “widely divergent tissues of the adult brain,” including the hippocampus, the neocortex and the optic nerve.

Gage’s team also has observed that environmental enrichment, such as increased social interaction, larger housing, increased learning opportunities or enhanced exercise, are all able to stimulate development of new precursor cells in the dentate gyrus, a small area in the memory-generating part of the brain, in adult rodents.

Still another research group, led by Ronald Duman, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., reported that administration of an anti-depressant enhances neurogenesis in the adult rodent hippocampus.

Duman said that while more studies are needed to understand the significance of the process, the findings could offer new avenues to identify and treat stress-related mood disorders.

Parent is quick to point out, though, that repairing damaged brain tissue isn’t as simple as swapping out a bad circuit board in a computer, and that much more work must be done before tests can be conducted on humans who have sustained brain injuries.

“It’s not enough to stimulate the development of neuroblasts in human brains and hope they do what you want them to,” he said. “There can be harmful consequences.”

His team found, for instance, that some of the new cells do migrate and alter themselves to just the right spot after an injury and differentiate themselves into the right kind of cell.

But in other instances, after prolonged seizures, the neuroblasts from the dentate gyrus go where they don’t belong, although they assume the right shape. “They appear to be abnormally hyper-excitable and wire into existing nerve cell networks in a way that may lead to seizures.

“So making more new neurons after an injury is not always a good thing for brain function,” Parent said.

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IOM Report On Child Vaccinations Urges More Research

[From a news announcement from the National Vaccine Information

Center.]

http://www.909shot.com

Washington, D.C. – Responding to a report issued today by the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM) on child vaccinations and autoimmune dysfunction, the nation’s oldest and largest vaccine safety and informed consent advocacy organization, the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) endorsed IOM’s call for expanded basic science research into the development of the human immune system and identification of genetic and other biomarkers which could predispose some children to vaccine based adverse events, including autoimmunity.  The report, issued by the IOM’s Immunization Safety Review Committee, found that scientific evidence from epidemiological studies on whether allergy, including asthma, can be caused by multiple vaccinations was conflicting and concluded that the evidence “was inadequate to accept or reject a causal relationship.” The Committee concluded that epidemiological studies to date “favor rejection of a causal relationship between multiple immunizations and increased risk for infections and for type 1 diabetes.” However, the Committee also concluded that they did find some biological mechanism evidence that vaccines could increase the risk of immune dysfunction in some children that could lead to increased infections and allergy, including asthma. They stated that “the biological mechanisms evidence regarding increased risk for infections is strong.”

The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) has long advocated increased basic science research into the biological mechanisms for immunity and vaccine adverse events, with particular emphasis on identifying genetic and other biomarkers that may play a role in increasing susceptibility for vaccine-induced neuroimmune dysfunction. Acknowledging the absence of research into this area, the Committee said, “The Committee was unable to address the concern that repeated exposure of a susceptible child to multiple immunizations over the developmental period may also produce atypical or non-specific immune or nervous system injury that could lead to severe disability or death.  (Fisher, 2001). There are no epidemiological studies that address this. Thus, the committee recognizes with some discomfort that this report addresses only part of the overall set of concerns of some of those most wary about the safety of childhood immunizations.”

NVIC President Barbara Loe Fisher called the report “an important step in acknowledging the very real basic science research needs of our nation’s mass vaccination system. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the growing minority of children who, for biological reasons, are not able to handle the increasing numbers of vaccinations routinely being given to all children.”

The IOM Committee pointed out that “as the array of available vaccines and disease targets expands the current emphasis on universal recommendations and state mandates for vaccine use should be reassessed.” It encouraged “an exploration of the merits of accomodating requests for alternative vaccine-dosing schedules and the development of appropriate clinical guidance for any such alternatives. A more flexible schedule might allow for a reduction in the number of vaccines administered at one time.”

Although the IOM Committee report did not recommend a policy review by the Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration or the American Academy of Pediatrics at this time, the Committee report summary clearly recommended continued scientific research and consideration of “new frameworks for immunization policy, particularly as the number of licensed vaccines increases.”

“While we disagree with some of the Committees conclusions regarding the relative strengths and weakness of both the epidemiological and biological mechanism data that bears on proof of causality involved in vaccine-related autoimmunity and believe that specialized, methodologically sound studies of possible associations between multiple vaccinations and immune system dysfunction should be given a high funding and program priority by federal health agencies, we are pleased that this IOM report has identified a number of areas in which vaccine adverse event and policy research should be re-examined,” said Fisher. “We hope that both government and industry will pay attention to the signals given in this report and work with parents of vaccine injured children to come to a better scientific understanding of why, for some children, the risks of vaccination are 100 percent.”

A non-profit, educational organization founded in 1982 by parents of

vaccine injured children, NVIC serves as a consumer watchdog on vaccine

development and policymaking. NVIC advocates the institution of safety and

informed consent protections in the mass vaccination system and basic

science research into genetic and other biological factors which place some

individuals at high risk for vaccine injury and death.  To view the full

report: http://National-Academies.org and www.iom.edu/imsafety

 

 

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Autism Research Group Funds New Website on the Genetics of Autism

National Alliance for Autism Research Helps Duke & Tufts Launch

www.exploringautism.org

[From an organization announcement.]

Princeton, NJ – A new web-based genetics education tool for parents and family members of individuals with autism that was funded by the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) has recently been unveiled to the general public.

The website, www.exploringautism.org, is designed to promote genomic literacy among families with a history of autism spectrum disorders so they better understand the genetic components of autism, the latest genetic research advances and the potential implications of those advances. The website is dedicated to helping families who are living with the challenges of autism stay informed about breakthroughs involving the genetics of autism.  Coordinated by the Center for Human Genetics at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. and Tufts University/New England Medical Center in Boston, MA, the website is the first project of its kind funded by NAAR.

“This new website is truly a unique resource providing accurate and easy to understand information that explains the latest information on autism spectrum disorders, genetic research findings in autism and genetic principles as they relate to autism spectrum disorders,” said Andy Shih, Ph.D., director of Research & Programs at NAAR.

The website’s architecture allows visitors users to navigate the site easily and locate useful information, read current news on autism-related genetics and take part in an online survey designed to help researchers evaluate the genetic educational needs of families and other people who visit the site.

“There is not just data at this website, but useable information that benefit both family members of people with autism and healthcare professionals looking for the latest, most accurate information on the genetics of autism,” said Dr. Shih.

The website is organized by the following key sections:

What is Autism – Provides an overall description of the autism spectrum disorders, including diagnosis information and genetic conditions associated with autism.

Genetics Overview – Features a glossary of terms used in genetics and an explanation of tools used to help researchers locate susceptibility genes and information on recent investigations on certain chromosomes.

History of Autism – Includes a timeline of important advances in autism diagnosis and autism research as well as genetics.

Autism & Environmental Factors – Explores the theory of complex inheritance and the possible relationship between the environment and autism spectrum disorders.

Family Stories – Shares the story of the Flores family, of Raleigh, N.C., which has two children with autism.

Frequently Asked Questions – Lists questions and answers on autism and inheritance, what genes are involved in autism spectrum disorders, and ongoing genetic autism studies.

Survey – Online survey open to all users that is being used to help the Autism Genetics Collaborative determine the educational needs of families and develop additional educational materials.

NAAR funded the website through a $41,912 grant in awarded in 2001 to Margaret A. Pericak-Vance, Ph.D., Center for Human Genetics at Duke University Medical Center; and Susan Folstein, M.D, Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University/New England Medical University.  Dr.  Pericak-Vance and Dr. Folstein serve as editors of the website, along with Beth Rosen-Sheidley, M.S., CGC, New England Medical Center; and Chantelle Wolpert, MBA, PA-C, Duke University Medical Center. Information on the website is evaluated by the Autism Genetics Cooperative, an advisory board made up of researchers from major universities and medical centers.

“We are excited to see this collaborative educational initiative come to life on the Internet, and feel we are helping to provide a dynamic, new resource for families and healthcare professionals,” said Prisca Chen Marvin, Esq., president of NAAR’s Board of Trustees.

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Interleukin-2 and -6 Induce Behavioral-Activating Effects In Mice.

Zalcman S, Murray L, Dyck DG, Greenberg AH, Nance DM.

The Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, University of Manitoba, 770

Bannatyne Ave., Winnipeg, Mb., Canada. rosellic@ohsu.edu

Interleukin (IL)-1, IL-2 and IL-6 influence central monoamine activity in a cytokine-specific manner. We demonstrated that whereas IL-2 increased hypothalamic and hippocampal norepinephrine (NE) utilization, and DA turnover in the prefrontal cortex, IL-6 induced profound elevations of serotonin (5-HT) and mesocortical dopamine (DA) activity in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex [S. Zalcman, J.M. Green-Johnson, L. Murray, D.M.  Nance, D.G. Dyck, H. Anisman, A. H. Greenberg, Cytokine-specific central monoamine alterations following IL-1, -2 and -6 administration, Brain Res.  643 (1994) 40-49]. IL-1, in contrast, induced a wide range of central monoamine alterations.

We presently report that these cytokines also differentially influence behavior. Profound reductions in non-ambulatory and ambulatory exploration were induced in BALB/c mice following IL-1 administration. In contrast, IL-2-treated mice displayed significant increases in the time spent engaged in non-ambulatory exploration, digging, rearing (particularly the number of free rears), and in the investigation of a novel stimulus (i.e., increased number and duration of stimulus contacts).

IL-6-treated mice, moreover, exhibited significant increases in the time spent engaged in ambulatory exploration, digging and rearing (particularly the number of free rears, which tended to be of short duration). Modest increases in locomotion and grooming were also observed in IL-6-treated animals. Plasma corticosterone levels did not vary significantly as a function of IL-6 treatment. Hence, cytokine-specific behavioral-activating effects were induced following administration of IL-2 and IL-6.

We suggest that these effects have adaptive significance and relevance to sickness behavior; however, pathological outcomes (e.g., schizophrenia, anxious-like states, anxious depression, motor abnormalities) could develop should these cytokines be overproduced or dysregulated. Copyright 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

PMID: 9804916 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Reader’s Posts

Been doing ABA for my son(9yrs) with autism who has  average IQ for more

than a year. don’t understand why the language improvement is so slow

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verbal(lots of vocabulary), two or three words average. Sometimes, he tries

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Live in Southern California, have a 5 ½ year old high functioning autistic son, and I am interested in finding out more about chelating therapy, and if there is any physician in Southern California providing this service.

Seeking info re after-school program in the Inland Empire area of Southern

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includes typically developing peers, an environment he has been successfulin

Would like to thank everybody who took the time to email me in my search for

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if anybody out there is considering a dog as a friend  for their autistic

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Our 9 y.o. son’s CDSA and microbial OAT tests revealed that he has very scant amounts of good bacteria in his gut which indicates that Cuturelle and Pro-Bio Gold from Kirkman that he has been taking for almost a year is not working.  Can anyone advise us on which probiotic was effectively used?

Also, we need a really good reading comprehension teaching method or

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Does anyone have any info about service dogs for people (kids) with autism?I

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