 DNA research and treatment – from Aussie researchersby Seana Smith on Friday, November 13th, 2009Here is some news of a new study from the University of South Australia. Benison and I have met Dr Manya Angley twice this year and really enjoyed her talks as well as just chatting to her. Dr Angley has a child who has autism and so she knows the condition very well and from the personal as well as the professional angle. I have pasted the full news story from Science Alert below. Here follow a link about the study from Autism SA. http://www.autismsa.org.au/newsletter/articles/article_009.html You can read Dr Angley’s biog here: http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/staff/Homepage.asp?Name=manya.angley Personally, I find it tremendously encouraging that there is some real, practical research going on in Australia into both treatments and causes of ASD. I’m keen to get the word out about studies as they are done, and to encourage families to participate. I can get all emotional about this – hooray for people doing this work and for those who financially support them! Ten years after diagnosis I am not so desperate to know exactly the type of ASD my son has and what mix of genes, and possibly, environment led to it… but I do hope to know one day…. maybe it can be spotted very early if our kids have children, maybe it can be eased or even prevented with super-early intervention… there’s a lot of research going on and a lot of hope for the future of lots of children….
South Australian scientists have embarked on a new research program looking at whether DNA damage is greater in children with autism than in children without autism. The University of South Australia’s Sansom Institute for Health Research, together with CSIRO Food and Nutritional Sciences and Flinders University, will also investigate whether certain vitamins and other nutrients can help treat some aspects of autism. Dr Manya Angley from the Sansom Institute’s Autism Research Group says United States researchers have shown that the folate/methionine metabolic pathway, which involves key chemical reactions in the body, is significantly different in many children with autism compared to non-autistic children. “This pathway is involved in many key biochemical functions, especially maintenance of healthy DNA,” she said. Professor Michael Fenech from CSIRO and University of South Australia says the study will be carried out in two parts. “The first part aims to establish whether Australian children with autism have an abnormal folate-methionine pathway by looking at levels of certain chemicals in their blood and determining if there is a relationship with autism behaviour,” he said. “The second part looks at whether giving supplements to correct the blood profile improves autism behaviours. “Specific combinations of vitamins and other nutrients can potentially reverse DNA damage associated with normal ageing and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Down syndrome. “We want to see whether DNA damage is elevated in autism and whether supplements are effective in treating some aspects of autism.” Dr Philip Thomas at CSIRO will be supervising the DNA damage aspects of the study. The researchers are hopeful that the study may lead to better outcomes for individuals with autism. The ultimate aim is to develop personalised nutrition based on an individual’s own genetic makeup. UniSA PhD student Penelope Main is currently seeking participants for the study. Ms Main says participating in the study has many benefits including free blood testing for nutrient status and psychological assessment with carers being given a comprehensive report. “It is also an opportunity to help move Australian autism research forward,” said Ms Main. Children and adolescents with a diagnosis of Autistic Disorder, their siblings and controls (without a family history of autism) are currently being recruited. Interested individuals should be aged under 15 years and not currently taking folate or sodium valproate (Epilim). Editor’s Note: Original news release can be found here. To learn more or participte in the study, contact Penelope Main. 2 Responses to “DNA research and treatment – from Aussie researchers”Leave a Reply |
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