AUTISM FIRST STEPS
AUTISM DAILY NEWSLETTER    
Saturday, November 17, 2001   

INDEX:
* Protein Needed For Methylation During Development * Curry Spice Could Slow Alzheimer's, Study Shows
* Two Moms Want Shots Deep-Sixed
* Iowa Reader Post Iowa New Site for Mom's
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Protein Needed For Methylation During Development
Protein Needed For Methylation During DevelopmentA recent discovery by researchers at the National Cancer Institute has shed light on the illusive mechanism whereby DNA modification is regulated during development. Control over the addition of methyl groups is an actively pursued research topic because aberrations in DNA methylation have been implicated in the process of aging and in the development of various diseases, including cancer.Published in Genes & Development, Dr. Kathrin Muegge and colleagues have discovered that a protein called Lsh, a member of the SNF2 chromatin remodeling protein family, is required for normal genome-wide methylation during development. Since Lsh is similar to proteins that are known to alter chromatin, or compact DNA structure, the determination that Lsh is necessary for genome-wide methylation suggests that chromatin structure affects DNA methylation. Previously, only the reverse was thought to be true.DNA methylation is the process by which a carbon bound to three hydrogens (a methyl group) is transferred to a DNA nucleotide via a DNA methyltransferase enzyme. In vertebrates, both specific single-copy sequences, such as specific protein-coding genes, and repetitive sequences, like non-coding satellite sequences, are methylated. In general, DNA methylation is associated with genes that are not being expressed. Thus the hypothesis has arisen that DNA methylation silences genes, and aberrant methylation can alter normal gene expression patterns, causing developmental defects and disease.Dr. Muegge and colleagues began studying the Lsh gene because it shares some sequence identity with another SNF2 family member that modulates genome-wide methylation in plants. To determine the effect of Lsh on methylation patterns in mammals, Dr. Muegge and colleagues made knock-out mice deficient in Lsh. These Lsh mutant mice survived embryogenesis, but had substantially less DNA methylation at both single copy and repetitive sequences. Because the DNA methylation machinery, in common with the DNA methyltransferases enzymes, appeared to be intact in these Lsh mutant mice, it is proposed that the effect of Lsh on chromatin structure has implications in the establishment and/or the maintenance of global genome methylation patterns.This discovery presents the first evidence that chromatin structure may affect global DNA methylation in mammals, and will certainly spearhead new research efforts into the regulation of DNA methylation in the context of chromatin structure.Related website:Genes & Development

[Contact: Heather Cosel-Pieper********************************
Curry Spice Could Slow Alzheimer's, Study Shows
Curry Spice Could Slow Alzheimer's, Study Shows

By E. J. MundellNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Diets rich in curcumin--a compound found in the curry spice turmeric--may help explain why rates of Alzheimer's disease (news - web sites) are much lower among the elderly in India compared with their Western peers.Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the buildup of amyloid protein ``plaques'' within the brain. In studies in rats, curcumin ``not only reduces the amyloid, but also reduces the (brain's) response to the amyloid,'' according to researcher Dr. Sally Frautschy of the University of California, Los Angeles.She presented her findings Thursday at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego, California.Previous studies have noted that elderly individuals living in Indian villages appear to have the lowest incidence of Alzheimer's disease in the world, with just 1% of those aged 65 and older contracting the degenerative brain condition. The reasons for this low incidence remain unclear, however.Frautschy speculated that curcumin found in curry could provide a clue to this puzzle since the compound has ``a long history of dietary and herbal medicinal use'' and is also a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.In her study, Frautschy fed middle-aged (9 months old) and aged (22 months old) rats diets rich in curcumin. All of the rats had received brain injections of amyloid to mimic progressive Alzheimer's disease.``Curcumin reduced the accumulation of beta-amyloid and the associated loss of proteins'' in the synapses, or gaps, between individual brain cells, Frautschy reported.``Synapses connect nerve cells and are crucial for memory,'' the California researcher explained. Keeping synapses free of plaque is important because ``their loss correlates well with memory decline in Alzheimer's.''This type of memory preservation may have been reflected in the fact that rats fed curcumin also performed much better in memory-dependent maze tests compared with rats on normal diets, according to Frautschy. Curcumin also appeared to reduce Alzheimer's-related inflammation in neurologic tissue.Because ``a combined anti-inflammatory and antioxidant approach will be useful for Alzheimer's prevention or treatment,'' Frautschy speculates that curcumin could be especially valuable in the fight against the disease, especially in combination with anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen. Her team is hopeful they will soon receive funding for clinical trials to investigate curcumin-ibuprofen combination therapy.Curcumin may not be the only compound in the kitchen spice rack able to ward off Alzheimer's. In an intervie
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Two Moms Want Shots Deep-Sixed


Two Moms Want Shots Deep-Sixed

By Randy Dotinga
HealthScoutNews ReporterFRIDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthScoutNews) -- In a case that could set a precedent in the ongoing battle over immunization rights, two Arkansas women are suing in federal court to stop the state from forcing their children to be vaccinated. While one woman is fighting a hepatitis immunization, and the other wants an exemption from a chicken pox vaccine, both say their opposition is based in their Roman Catholic beliefs. They argue that their religious convictions should outweigh state law. State officials, however, say the two plaintiffs have no choice because they don't qualify for religious-based exemptions granted when an entire religious group finds vaccinations intolerable. While the state must uphold religious freedom, "we also have to protect the public against communicable diseases," says Reginald Rogers, deputy general counsel for the Arkansas Department of Health. Like other states, Arkansas requires children to get a variety of vaccinations. In this case, chicken pox immunization before kindergarten and hepatitis B immunization for kids older than 10 were mandated only a year ago. Susan Brock, a parent of four school-age children, objects to the hepatitis B vaccine because it protects against a disease that is mainly spread through sexual intercourse and intravenous drug use, says her attorney, Mathew Staver. Hepatitis B strikes the liver and can be fatal. Brock teaches her children to avoid premarital sex and illegal drug use, says Staver, president of the Florida-based Liberty Counsel legal organization. "It violates her religious convictions for her to have the state mandate an injection contrary to what she believes. It would be like the government requiring a Jew to eat pork because the government wants to promote pork," he says. The other mother, Shannon Law, opposes the recently developed chicken pox vaccine because it was derived from cells taken from aborted fetuses, Staver says. Law opposes abortion, and forcing chicken pox vaccination on her son is akin to making someone take a medicine developed during research on Holocaust victims, he says. The state law allowing religious exemptions is too strict, the lawyer says. "It gives preference to some religious doctrines or institutions over others." Any ruling against the state would be valid only in Arkansas, but it could set a precedent if similar issues arise elsewhere, Staver says. Federal Judge Susan Webber Wright heard arguments in the case last week. The judge, who is famous for her rulings in the Paula Jones case against former President Bill Clinton, seemed skeptical of the state law allowing some religious exemption, Staver says. Rogers, the state health department's attorney, declines to say how he thinks Wright will rule in a decision expected later this year. But he did say the state grants about 400 exemptions to vaccinations each year on religious grounds. The state makes sure that those who get exemptions have "sincerely held beliefs in a recognized church," he says. The law puts health officials in the unusual position of deciding what an established religion is, and what it believes. But that's an acceptable standard, says Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. The state is trying to show that "you are an adherent to a recognized religious tradition," he says. That makes sense because "religion is not seen as subjective, personal and individual," he says. Instead, he says religion is grounded in society and culture. What To Do Learn more about childhood vaccinations in this guide from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites). What are the immunization requirements of your state? Find out with the help of the National Network for Immunization Information.
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Iowa Reader Post

Iowa New Site for Mom's
A great new site for mothers was recently launched a site for Moms in Iowa called, Iowa Mom's it is located online at: http://IowaMoms.com Thia was opened as  A place to gather with other Moms here in Iowa. You can sign up for a weekly online newsletter at the website. Included in the site is discussion boards and information on recipes, crafts, books, health, advice and more.
Thanks Wendy Crumbo for a unique mom's site made in Iowa.
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ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.