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Saw this on a documentary. Tragic that there is no cure but autism is caused by the wrong shaped protien being generated by a dna entanglement with errors in the way it twists and turns. The solution would seem to be to destroy the old DNA and replace it with New DNA.
Oddly enough they already do that with marrow transplants for curing cancer. The recipient DNA becomes the donor DNA so when someone has autism, the error is going to be replaced by New cells that dont have the old DNA errors.
It probably requires research and human trials, but if it works there would finally be a cure for autism.
Because autism isn't just a genetic entanglement; it is also brain structures and the way the brain itself processes information. The only way it could conceivably be cured using surgery would require a horrific lobotomy that would leave the patient a drooling vegetable. And, due to its location, there's a very good change the surgery would just result in their untimely death.
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Because autism isn't just a genetic entanglement; it is also brain structures and the way the brain itself processes information. The only way it could conceivably be cured using surgery would require a horrific lobotomy that would leave the patient a drooling vegetable. And, due to its location, there's a very good change the surgery would just result in their untimely death.
Probably for older autism cases, but for a young child, a DNA swap out could mean better outcomes as the brain develops.
If by "younger" you mean "while still in the womb," then yes.
Autism presents as soon as age 1 in humans.
Also, while the neural paths do change in children, they don't change significantly enough that a DNA swap out would actually do enough of a job. Plus, the autism effects are close to the animal portions of the brain, in an area that actually doesn't change that much as people age.
Believe it or not, but I suggested this a couple years ago elsewhere. All I'm doing is relaying what was used to shoot down the idea from me at the time.
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Yeah, that's not really how you science. The bone marrow trick doesn't work with all cancers and neurons themselves are notorious for not regenerating which is what would need to happen for the replacement to take place.
And what level of autism are we discussing here? Full-blown banging head against the wall autism or the odd guy who lives down the street who doesn't quit get human interaction but is busy programming in a couple languages at the same time?
As with most "disorders" autism is incredibly complicated and isn't just as simple as genetics.
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I'd like to at least fix some of the science here.
A bone marrow transplant DOES NOT CHANGE YOUR DNA!
Bone marrow is responsible for generating your blood cells. That's it.
The reason leukemia patients get bone marrow transplants is that they have cancer of the blood or bone marrow. Replacing the bone marrow replaces both (over time). Since it's no longer your marrow or your blood, the cancer can (in many cases) be permanently removed. And since it's no longer your blood, it's extremely dangerous, as the old immune cells may attack the new cells, and the new immune cells may attack the old cells.
Yes, the new bone marrow has the donor's DNA, not yours. So all of your blood will eventually have the donor's DNA in the case of a fully-successful transplant.
EDIT: I've been informed that red blood cells have no nuclei, so don't contain genetic information anyway. Sounds likely, but didn't verify.
BUT THE REST OF THE DNA IN YOUR BODY DOES NOT CHANGE.
In particular, your neurons still have YOUR DNA, not the marrow donor's. So there's a 0% chance of bone marrow transplant helping with neurological disorders, unless they are autoimmune-related. (No proof that autism isn't; just wanted to eliminate the idea that a bone marrow transplant miraculously replaced your DNA.)
Might not be the cause of all autism-spectrum, but recent research has suggested strong links to the beneficial bacteria in our digestive track.
First off,
Down with Citizen K(e)rensky!
Vive le Dingo!
Second off,
Where did all the mangos come from? I must've missed that one.
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I don't know IT.
I'm pretty sure this guy on the White House petition site said it was caused by trillions of mangos bieng sold in a lottery, but since they're all the same mango per superstring theory the government should forcibly move all the women in the world to a hyperloop convinient container house city in the center of the Sahara.
Paid for by the profits of 1 million wind turbines?
Third off,
Down with Comrade Pravda!
Vive le Dingo!
I can be both down and up, and neither, all at the same time... according to string theory.
How come Comrade Anklebiter never yells at me? I feel left out.
Fourth off,
Down with NobodysHome!
[Tries to strike a match, repeatedly, with no success]
G~!*$*n Citizen K(e)rensky
(Hands Comrade a lighter. Empty, of course...)
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As someone who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, teaches social skills to others on the spectrum, and works in the advocacy of better public understanding of the condition, I feel the need to speak up. The cause of autism has yet to be fully and comprehensively identified by any peer-reviewed study. Yes, correlations and some of the contributing factors have been discovered, but those alone are vastly insufficient to posit anything as a likely "cure" for ASD. Additionally, it is considered strongly misguided to strive to "cure" ASD by the ASD community itself. This is because it characterizes us as a disease in need of a cure. Rather than striving for a "cure", what is desired is a societal progression from the present age of autism awareness to an age of autism understanding. In America, laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act have contributed greatly to the improvement of the treatment of those on the spectrum. What still remains though are pervasive societal stigmas towards us, particularly post-adolescence. These stigmas are perpetuated by the dissemination of misinformation and the reluctance of many people to accommodate or even tolerate the social eccentricities and tics that persist into adulthood.
[/soapbox]
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Additionally, it is considered strongly misguided to strive to "cure" ASD by the ASD community itself. This is because it characterizes us as a disease in need of a cure. Rather than striving for a "cure", what is desired is a societal progression from the present age of autism awareness to an age of autism understanding.
[/soapbox]
2 points: 1) who are we actually talking about when we talk about the ASD community "itself"? Sure there are some people with ASD who feel talk of a "cure" threatens their identity as individuals, that any attempt to negate symptoms is a negation of personality, but others on the spectrum actively wish that they did not have the social deficits they are all too aware they have. It's a lonely life when you can't be sure of others' intentions towards you, eh? Actively educating yourself on body language, etc., can only get you so far when the "natural ability" to read people regresses or fails to develop in childhood.
2) I agree that society needs to move from a "victim" mindset towards people with disabilities of all kinds, especially ASD; and that a good faith effort to understand people on the spectrum should also be met by an equally good-faith effort on the part of people with ASD to understand and accommodate the ways of the "neurotypicals" with whom we all must live.
[rant]
I speak of the Aspie's good-faith attempt to accommodate "neurotypicals" because I personally had a bad experience: as a tutor to a student with ASD who annoyed me no end by treating "tutor" and "I don't need to put in any personal effort" as synonymous. Having had an IEP and accommodation myself in school, having taken advantage of tutoring myself, in good faith, I had equally high expectations for the person I tutored. I know his lackadaisical attitude isn't true of other people with ASD/disabilities, and his attitude was likely a symptom of internalized victimization/learned helplessness, but it still irked me. Taking advantage of a service is one thing, taking advantage of people trying to help you is another. [/end rant]
Full disclosure: I received a Title 9 IEP when I was a child. I actually don't know whether or not I'd take a "magic pill" to erase my disabilities - at my age, I've arrived at a more nuanced understanding of how my diagnosis has both hindered me and benefited me (in the "it builds character" kind of way). I don't think I'd be able to put myself in a "pro-cure" or "pro-spectrum-acceptance" camp since ASD really isn't like cochlear implants, where one device can change everything.
dditionally, it is considered strongly misguided to strive to "cure" ASD by the ASD community itself. This is because it characterizes us as a disease in need of a cure.
No matter how far down the spectrum you go?
The idea that a "cure" for the severely disabled would eliminate a personality type that merges with "geek" at some level assumes everything on the spectrum is even caused by the same thing.
I am so glad this was answered before I had to make an all-out rabid assault... so I don't have to, but I'd still like to add my voice to what was said before.
What your bone marrow does is produce your blood cells. It makes red blood cells that transport oxygen, it makes platelets that regulate coagulation, and it makes white blood cells that make up a large part of your immune system. To express it in a VERY simplified form, because it's mind-bogglingly complex, the white blood cells identify sick "domestic" cells, such as cancer cells, as well as infectious or simply foreign agents, in your body, and remove them. There are many ways they do this, but the interesting part is what happens before their active duty. The white blood cells are "trained", in truth a process of selection, so that they a) react strongly enough to foreign substance, and b) leave healthy body tissue alone well enough. As with all complex processes, this one is not perfect. Some cells react too strongly to healthy body tissues, and these can cause serious problems such as various rheumatic disorders, allergies, and the like. The white blood cells, unlike the red ones, still have a nucleus, and still have DNA, and can thus become malign, like all other cells.
Bone marrow transplantation is a process that basically consists of finding someone compatible enough to the patient genetically that they can donate bone marrow, then irradiating the patient enough to kill off their own bone marrow, then injecting the foreign bone marrow in the patient. It's a very dangerous process, because after the irradiation, the patient functionally has no immune system. The slightest infection WILL kill them. The matching is also unlikely to be perfect, and there are side effects aplenty. Thus, it's something you do when there are VERY serious threats to the patient's life. In practice, it's life-threatening blood cell cancers and a few dangerous acute rheumatic disorders. It is NOT something you put a newborn or toddler through "just because". Not to mention the fact that children less than a year old have a pretty weak immune system.
So... the suggestion above. *sighs deeply* The donor's DNA needs to match the recipient pretty well, otherwise the donated immune system would kill the recipient extremely efficiently within days. Changing the bone marrow does NOTHING to affect the DNA in ANY OTHER CELL IN THE BODY, only the bone marrow and, eventually, the white blood cells, will be changed, and as I said, not too much. Hoping that this would solve CNS conditions like autism spectrum disorder is like doing a thumb transplant to cure a bad shoulder joint. As Nobody's home stated, autism MAY of course be autoimmune, but it doesn't seem likely at present. If it is, it still won't be treated by bone marrow replacements due to the danger involved in the process.
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2 points: 1) who are we actually talking about when we talk about the ASD community "itself"? Sure there are some people with ASD who feel talk of a "cure" threatens their identity as individuals, that any attempt to negate symptoms is a negation of personality, but others on the spectrum actively wish that they did not have the social deficits they are all too aware they have. It's a lonely life when you can't be sure of others' intentions towards you, eh? Actively educating yourself on body language, etc., can only get you so far when the "natural ability" to read people regresses or fails to develop in childhood.
2) I agree that society needs to move from a "victim" mindset towards people with disabilities of all kinds, especially ASD; and that a good faith effort to understand people on the spectrum should also be met by an equally good-faith effort on the part of people with ASD to understand and accommodate the ways of the "neurotypicals" with whom we all must live.
** spoiler omitted **...
1.) The community I was referring to was an attempt on my part to describe the growing trend of major autism related organizations to begin shifting their focus from seeking cures to seeking treatments to aid in the transition of individuals on the spectrum into the global community as they reach maturity. This is commonly referred to as shifting from being "cure-oriented" to being "care-oriented". This trend began gaining traction in 2013 when Autism Speaks announced this new direction for their Autism Treatment Network.
One of the new techniques that are in development is one that emphasizes self-analysis as opposed to the reading of others' social cues. Succinctly, it involves the development of one's own repertoire of cues and learning which ones elicit which responses. While more generalized study is in progress, it has shown promise in effectively circumventing the inherent social cue perception difficulties.
2.) I agree that further progress is needed for all disabilities, ASD is my field of expertise which is why I cannot speak for other groups with other conditions.
3/spoiler) I am sorry to hear of your negative experience. Let me be forthright here and state plainly that what I am advocating for is not a one-way street. There will be much effort and dedication needed from all parties, including those with ASD.
No matter how far down the spectrum you go?
The idea that a "cure" for the severely disabled would eliminate a personality type that merges with "geek" at some level assumes everything on the spectrum is even caused by the same thing.
It is precisely because we do not know the full causes of ASD (or if everything currently considered part of the spectrum is as interrelated as thought) that a "cure" raises much cause for concern. The concern here being the perpetuation of a culture that would effectively endorse the forced assimilation of the identity of those with ASD into neurotypical mindsets. Yes, it may seem altruistic and idealistic for us to strive for such an ambitious goal as reshaping the world's view of ASD, but my point is that not only would it alleviate the vast majority of disadvantages of the condition. Rather, my point is that we are already making significant progress towards this end. What is being done now is the reformation of the public perception of those with ASD as well as advancing the teaching techniques of social skills to people across the spectrum.
It is precisely because we do not know the full causes of ASD (or if everything currently considered part of the spectrum is as interrelated as thought) that a "cure" raises much cause for concern. The concern here being the perpetuation of a culture that would effectively endorse the forced assimilation of the identity of those with ASD into neurotypical mindsets.
Its pretty clearly developmental, so if a cure is found its not going to do anything to people who's brains have fully/largely formed.
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It is precisely because we do not know the full causes of ASD (or if everything currently considered part of the spectrum is as interrelated as thought) that a "cure" raises much cause for concern. The concern here being the perpetuation of a culture that would effectively endorse the forced assimilation of the identity of those with ASD into neurotypical mindsets.Its pretty clearly developmental, so if a cure is found its not going to do anything to people who's brains have fully/largely formed.
It has been shown to be developmental, yes. However, it has also been shown that that is far from being the exclusive cause. Research is already in progress to finish identifying the genes that are contributing to the development of ASD. Additionally, other work is being to identify which specific environmental factors played roles as well. These studies' results, after being peer reviewed and replicated, would give us a better understanding of the condition and how to adapt existing treatments to better fit the needs of the individual.
The issue with the creation and widespread usage of a cure, even one that could theoretically be applied to babies/fetuses early in development, is that it would eventually result in the extinction of a culture that is just beginning to escape the stigma it has worked so hard to overcome. It is because there are promising and attainable results regarding the coexistence of people on the spectrum and neurotypicals that we should strive to create and maintain a mutually beneficial relationship between them.
The issue with the creation and widespread usage of a cure, even one that could theoretically be applied to babies/fetuses early in development, is that it would eventually result in the extinction of a culture that is just beginning to escape the stigma it has worked so hard to overcome
That would be a small price to pay to better the lives of people that can't function on their own, as it doesn't involve any detriment to any individual.
There's not anything wrong with autistic people, they are just different. Hey, how about make everyone autistic, it'll have about the same results. Heck, in many ways society would be better off. Or we could just change society to make it work better for autistic people, instead of just trying to get rid of us because we're difficult to deal with.
Uh... I get what you're saying, DMZ, but honestly... that little word "just" keeps bothering me. I do not think it means what you think it means.
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There's not anything wrong with autistic people, they are just different. Hey, how about make everyone autistic, it'll have about the same results.
For Aspergers possibly. For autism, no. Very much no.
I think society should be very accepting of people with ASD.
At the same time eventually a method of prevention, or at least chance reduction, will be found and parents are going to use it if it's cheap enough.
Cultures and ways of life disappear. It's unfortunate, but it happens over time.
Couple comments:
1) This isn't my area of professional study, so my reading is rather thin on the topic. But from my reading, it's both a fascinating topic, and clearly the result of multiple variables coming into play, developmentally speaking on the brain at a very early age.
2) I wouldn't swiftly compare some of the sentiment in the ASD community to some cases that have come out of the deaf community (I'm thinking of one case where two mothers expressed a desire to intentionally deafen their unborn child so as to have a child that shared what they called their culture and others would call a disability - assuming I remember the case correctly). The former is a wide spectrum of behavior and ways of viewing and interacting with the world compared to the neurotypical baseline, which makes it rather different IMO to the binary situation of deaf versus not deaf.
Admittedly I don't have anyone that's deaf in my family or among my friends, while I certainly do have family and friends on the ASD spectrum.