SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard
A drug discovered more than 100 years ago may hold the key to combating autism symptoms, according to a study.
Researcher Dr Robert Naviaux of the San Diego School of Medicine gave suramin, a drug first developed in 1916, to 10 autistic boys between the ages of five and 14, and noted transformative results.
"After the single dose, it was almost like a roadblock had been released," he said. "If the future studies show that there's continued health benefits, this could be a game-changer for families with autism."
The study, which has been published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, saw five of the participants receive suramin, while the remainder were given placebos. Included in the group were four non-verbal children – two six year olds and two 14 year olds.
"The six year old and the 14 year old who received suramin said the first sentences of their lives about one week after the single suramin infusion," Naviaux told the UC San Diego Health website. "This did not happen in any of the children given the placebo."
Source: https://www.rt.com/usa/390222-autism-research-suramin-symptoms/
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday May 31 2017, @06:39PM (7 children)
Not even going to bother quoting it, but wow its quite a list. And the two month half life means if you get "changes or loss of vision" or whatever it takes months to get even a little better.
Damn... screw up the injection and the kids arm literally rots off of them. Try not to do that.
OK so at least you get like four treatments per year, not daily or something.
Yeah thats not pointing to a neurological cause of autism. Although lower conc does not mean zero.
Fits in with the pharmacokinetic widely varying rate, drink a lot of water pee out in 40 days what a dehydrated dude would keep for 80 days.
It sounds biochemistry scary as hell. Which makes sense, lots of Autism money to go around and eventually the chemists are going to scare up something as terrifying as chemotherapy level substances that kill the autism just a little worst than they kill the patient.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday May 31 2017, @07:02PM (5 children)
doi/10.1002/acn3.424 [wiley.com] on toxity:
As for greed:
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday May 31 2017, @07:09PM (4 children)
Oooh interesting. Of course treatment for ASD would seem to be weekly for life so the long term low dose will also be interesting to study. Hopefully a tolerance doesn't build up.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday May 31 2017, @07:17PM (3 children)
I'll suspect there's a difference between people that have autism and asperger. In that people with autism really do have issues that blocks them from being happy. And a medicine like this might unlock certain regions of the brain. What to watch out for is people that are so determined to make these persons an image of their self and their preferences that they will are willing to seriously hurt the person they think they help but in reality will just make things worse.
Before this can really be evaluated a larger trial will most likely be needed.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 31 2017, @07:46PM (2 children)
I suspect asperger are high IQ autistic who are able to cope by using their advanced intelligence to overcome some of their issues.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 31 2017, @10:57PM (1 child)
Interesting. As for my opinion, I suspect Jesus touches certain minds and Satan touches others. We should discuss on TV - remember it doesn't cost anything to pray to Jesus.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 31 2017, @11:15PM
Great Satan hear my prayer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 31 2017, @07:07PM
From the paper:
The dose makes the poison.