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FEAT DAILY NEWSLETTER      Sacramento, California      http://www.feat.org

November 12, 2001        News Morgue Search  www.feat.org/search/news.asp

RESEARCH

·        Gut–Brain Connection Found by Repligen: Secretin–Amygdala

 

AUTISM ANGELS

·        Big Autism / Political Donor Makes His Own Rules

·        Top Financial PR Firm Hires Political Autism Angel

 

TREATMENT

·        New Jersey Autism Center’s Inaugural Event

·        Reader’s Posts

 

 

Gut – Brain Connection Found by Repligen: Secretin – Amygdala

Presented at IMFAR Conference: Social behavior site of brain activated by

secretin in animal studies - Discovery to be extended through clinical trial

[From a company media announcement through PRNewswire via COMTEX.] http://library.northernlight.com/FA20011112970000113.html?cb=0&dx=1006&sc=0# doc <-- address ends here.

Repligen Corporation reported today that studies in animals demonstrate that secretin specifically activates neurons in the amygdala, a part of the brain known to be important in social interactions. Several studies in other laboratories have previously established that people with autism do not show normal activation of the amygdala when engaged in social interactions such as recognizing emotions from facial expressions.

Secretin is currently being evaluated by the Company for the improvement of reciprocal social interaction in children with autism; however, to date there has been no biological model for how secretin, a gastrointestinal hormone, may affect the brain.

Results from two animal studies provide, for the first time, evidence of a biological mechanism for the action of secretin in autism. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the International Meeting for Autism Research on November 9-11. Separately, Repligen announced that it would collaborate with McLean Hospital, a teaching facility for Harvard Medical School, to conduct a clinical trial using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to extend this research to humans.

The first study establishing the activation of the amygdala by secretin was performed in collaboration with researchers at the VA Medical Center in Boston and Harvard Medical School. In this study, neuronal activation in rats was evaluated 1-2 hours following administration of a single intravenous injection of secretin or a placebo.

The brain tissue was fixed and stained for Fos, a readily measured and well-established marker of the activation of neurons. Prominent activation of the amygdala was observed only in secretin- treated animals. Additional analysis revealed a significant decrease in the level of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the amygdala of secretin-treated rats which was not observed in rats treated with a control injection.

A second study, performed in collaboration with the VA Medical Center in Saint Louis and Saint Louis University School of Medicine, established the ability of a biologically active, radioactive secretin analog to transfer out of the blood and enter the brain. The rate of entry of secretin into the brain was similar to other peptides with known neurological activity.

Repligen also presented data from its Phase 2 clinical trial which demonstrated that a subset of the autistic patients showed a clinical response to secretin. Symptom improvements were most evident in reciprocal social interaction as measured with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), a standardized method for quantifying the severity of the symptoms of autism.

“Taken together, these studies show that secretin can activate a part of the brain involved in social interaction and known to have reduced activity in autism,” stated Walter C. Herlihy, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Repligen Corporation. “We look forward to extending these results through our collaboration with the Brain Imaging Center at McLean Hospital.”

The Amygdala and Autism

The amygdala is part of a complex neural system that is critical for ascribing emotional value to stimuli and influencing affective responsiveness and emotional learning. One of the core deficits of autism is impaired reciprocal social interaction including eye contact, joint attention and an inability to deduce the mental states of others from facial expressions. Although neuropathological and imaging studies have revealed abnormalities in several regions of the brain in autism, a lack of activation of the amygdala is recognized as an important correlate of the social deficits of autism.

The role of the amygdala in social interaction has been studied in both normal and autistic patients using various neuroimaging tools. Studies using fMRI, have established an activation of the amygdala when processing and responding to social stimuli. Reduced activation of the amygdala in patients with autism has been documented using fMRI with particular impairment noted in their ability to respond to facial expressions of fear, to perceive eye-gaze direction and to establish recall memory for faces.  Other studies indicate that patients with either surgical or congenital amygdala damage show similar symptoms. These data suggest that reduced activity of the amygdala is important in autism.

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Big Autism / Political Donor Makes His Own Rules

Steve Beneto Jr., a Republican autism parent, gives to Democrats - and

helped start the M.I.N.D. Institute

[By Dan Smith smith@sacbee.com in the Sunday Sacramento Bee.]

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/1153072p-1220775c.html

Steve Beneto Jr., his friends and associates say, is a blunt and fiercely independent man used to doing things his own way—especially in politics.

The West Sacramento, California trucking magnate, philanthropist and avid horseman built a lucrative fuel tanker-truck empire out of a Lake Tahoe bread route and a Sacramento root beer stand.

At the Capitol, the 64-year-old Republican has become a major political donor to Democrats, particularly Gov. Gray Davis and Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, and won a gubernatorial appointment to the California State Fair board of directors.

In September, the state was poised to lease an airplane from Beneto to move Davis around the state in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the East Coast, a plan that was scuttled after it was disclosed in media reports.  Davis frequently has leased Beneto’s planes for campaign trips, according to the governor’s campaign reports.

Despite his political and charitable giving, his position on the fair board and his high-profile trucking business, Beneto prefers to fly under the radar as much as possible.

“We like to live a private life,” he said before declining repeated interview requests for this story.

The usually talkative Burton, the recipient of at least $87,000 in campaign contributions from Beneto in 2000 alone, also declined to be interviewed for this story, citing Beneto’s desire for privacy.

Beneto has a spotty record of filing required reports detailing the money he has given to Davis and other state politicians since 1997, despite far exceeding the $10,000 threshold for major political donors, according to the secretary of state’s office.

He only recently filed the 1999 and 2000 tax reports required of tax-exempt foundations making charitable contributions, according to the attorney general’s office.

Those who know him say Beneto does and says what he wants, sometimes with stunning bluntness.

“When you’re done with a conversation with Steve Beneto, you know where you stand. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything,” said Rick Rollens, a former top Senate staffer who worked with Beneto and other parents of autistic children to help launch the MIND Institute (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) at the University of California, Davis.

Beneto shows his independence by refusing to join the California Trucking Association, opting to hire his own lobbyist to protect his business interests at the Capitol.

“He gets into this control thing,” said Kirk Breed, who is Beneto’s lobbyist and serves with him on the fair board. “It really comes down to control. You put your money into these associations and what do you get out of it?”

Les Cohen, a retired lobbyist for the California Independent Oil Marketers Association, said Beneto took the same approach with that organization, despite his ownership of dozens of gasoline stations.

“There’s always a couple of guys who think they are politically powerful on their own,” Cohen said. “They’ll be part of the team, but never do anything with the team.”

Beneto has, however, been a solid member of Davis’ $100,000 team, having donated that amount to the governor’s campaign fund in both 1999 and 2000, according to Davis’ campaign disclosure statements. Davis appointed him to the fair board in April 2000.

That same spring, lawmakers, led by Burton, and Davis gave a huge boost to the MIND Institute, appropriating $34 million in the state budget for a major expansion. Beneto and another member of the governor’s $100,000 donor club—Sacramento developer Angelo Tsakopoulos—had each contributed $500,000 to the MIND Institute in 1998 to get the center going.

The Governor’s Office has denied any connection between the MIND Institute grant and the political support from Beneto and Tsakopoulos. And Rollens, who lobbied hard for the state support along with other parents of autistic children, said he doesn’t know what special role Beneto may have played with Davis.

According to the tax reports of Beneto’s charitable trust, he has contributed an average of $167,000 in each of the last three years, much of it to Sacramento-area charities. The largest chunk each year -- $100,000 -- goes to the Devereaux Foundation, which operates a series of nonprofit treatment centers in several states.

Some of the Devereaux centers in Pennsylvania bear Beneto’s name—a tribute to his charitable giving. His adult son lives in the Devereaux facility in Santa Barbara, which also receives state funding.

Breed said most of his work for Beneto involves trucking and labor issues related to Beneto Tank Lines, which boasts 180 tankers and truck terminals in three Western states. But Breed said Beneto lobbies the governor himself on mental health issues.

“If there’s anything on this guy’s mind, it’s mental health issues,” Breed said. “He knows that there’s nothing that can be done for his kid because he’s 40 years old. But there’s all these other people walking around. That’s where he’s used his access the most.”

Beneto wasn’t always a Davis fan. He supported Republican Dan Lungren in the 1998 election, but had Breed try to arrange a meeting with Davis after the Democrat’s overwhelming victory.

“Steve says, ‘I kind of like what this guy says. He’s not as liberal as I thought he was going to be. I’d like to talk to him,’ “ Breed related.  Davis eventually called Beneto after the inauguration in early 1999, Breed said.

Sacramento lawyer Joe Genshlea, whom Beneto supported with a $25,000 loan in last year’s mayor’s race, said generosity comes naturally for his former classmate at Sacramento’s Christian Brothers High School.

“He is a self-made man and he is a guy with a big heart,” Genshlea said. “We never had any in-depth conversations (about the mayor’s race). He was just very supportive.”

Breed said Beneto came to support Democrats more than a decade ago, when he sought out then-Assembly Speaker Willie Brown to discuss an issue sure to affect his gasoline stations—an emerging state requirement to replace all leaking underground gasoline storage tanks.

“I told Steve, ‘You’re going to have to become a player,’ “ Breed recalled. “Otherwise, you’re just another guy on the street corner.”

 

 

 

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Top Financial PR Firm Hires Political Autism Angel

http://library.northernlight.com/FB20011112420000168.html?cb=0&dx=1006&sc=0#doc <--address ends here.

Business Wire - The William Mills Agency, the nation’s largest provider of public relations for the financial services industry www.williammills.com, has hired Katie Hogan to serve on one of the agency’s financial services teams. Hogan, in her previous position as a legislative assistant for Congressman Chris Smith (N.J.-04) in Washington, D.C., initiated the creation of the bipartisan Coalition for Autism Research and Education (CARE), the Congressional caucus dedicated to helping families and friends affected by autism.

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New Jersey Autism Center’s Inaugural Event

The Autism Center at the New Jersey Medical School of the University of Medicine and Dentistry will hold its inaugural event this Wednesday, November 14^th, at the Newark Club in Newark.

The creation of The Autism Center is exciting because it brings together a range of experienced autism specialists under one roof - the clinical equivalent of “one stop shopping” which parents have been asking for over so many years is finally here!

·        Pediatric Neurology • Developmental pediatrics • Child psychiatry •

Child psychology • Medical genetics • Pediatric immunology • Pediatric

gastroenterology • Nutrition • Special needs Dentistry • Speech-language

therapy • Occupational therapy • Audiology • Physical therapy • Pediatric

opthomology, and soon • Behavioral Therapy

Many, if not most of the specialists in these areas will be present at the inaugural event, as will a number of UMDNJ researchers doing work on autism. If you can make it on the 14^th, please come for an interesting, informative program and to show your support!

[Contact Fred Kipperman of UMDNJ directly by phone or email to say you’re coming or simply to get on the mailing list for future events - kipperfp@umdnj.edu or 973 972-8762.]

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Reader’s Posts

The Friendship Club...for children and young adults who have Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioning Autism or Pervasive Development Disorder. Oakland County, Michigan area. For information and membership form:

Am I being over-sensitive?  My Asperger’s child was forced to wear a PE

shirt with his name emblazoned in 3 ¼ “ high letters across the front as

punishment for allowing it to be stolen (names are not worn on PE shirts

here).  When he explained that it made him feel like a freak, his Spec. Ed.

teacher and aide told him it was his own fault for being irresponsible, and

that he was selfish and wasting $.  The fact that he already stands out

because he has an aide was brought up to him, too. Now he feels like he’s a

The teachers at my HFA 11 yr old daughter’s school suspect her mood swings

may be attributed to puberty.  Anyone have any tips on dealing with these

moods swings?  Also tips on teaching about menstruation and ideas on easy to

Preschool shadow needed for 2.5 yr old, high functioning aut. son in Morris

County, Tues. & Thurs. from 1:00-3:00.  Our son is very compliant, quite

social & quick to learn.  Will train & supervise. 6 add’l hrs are also

Add a personalized touch to all your correspondence and show your support for Autism Awareness with attractive return address labels.  Beautiful address labels with the Autism Ribbon on them. Choose any layout for the labels you like. What a wonderful addition to your Holiday Greeting Cards!  10% of the sales go to support the Autism Society of America.

Parents of autistic 5 year-old seeking positive or negative experiences of others who have experience with the following practitioners/protocols:

Pfeiffer Institute/HRI, Mary Megson, M.D., Paul Fleiss, M.D., Patricia Kane,

Ph.D., Karima Hirami, M.D., Richard Huemer, M.D...OR other successes.

Looking for someone who has set-up a “lunch bunch”, “circle of friends”, or

other recess program at their child’s elementary school. We would like to

 

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