A Genetic Clue to Why Autism Affects Boys More

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

Do you think that it might have nothing to do with anything but being able to diagnose it more accurately and having more advances in "treatment" (by that I mean coping skills and what not) and other diagnostic methods? I'm thinking that it has always existed, but there wasn't a name for it as much knowledge as we have now, so it appears to be on the rise but potentially just wasn't diagnosed.

I think that explains part of it, but I don't think it explains all of it. I suspect there are a variety of factors at work, genetic and environmental. And I've known of enough cases where a change in diet lead to a real improvement that I cannot discount the food aspect that ThetaPrincess24 mentioned for some kids.

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

Because they can't let go of this idea of vaccine link to autism even though it has NEVER been linked by reputable studies.

I kind of hate to say this, but my experience is that there are more than a few parents of kids on the spectrum who don't completely trust (or who don't trust at all) the medical research establishment. I'm not one of them, but I can sort of see where they are coming from.

I think this may come from a variety of reasons. I know some who still sting from the old theory that withheld maternal love was the culprit. I know some who don't trust research that they think is controlled by pharmaceutical companies. I know some who believe that they saw real changes in their kids that coincided with events like vaccines. (Maybe they did, or maybe it's rationalization, I can't say.) And, sad as it is too say, I know some who've had bad enough experiences with medical doctors who have failed to help (not cure, but just offer compassionate help rather than judgment or "it's not real" reactions) that they've been turned off the "establishment" and just don't trust it.

The reality is that alot of these parents are grasping at straws, looking for any explanation of what happened to their kids and any idea of what can be done about it. Even when I think they're way off base, I can see how they got there.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

The reality is that alot of these parents are grasping at straws, looking for any explanation of what happened to their kids and any idea of what can be done about it. Even when I think they're way off base, I can see how they got there.

People want answers. Unfortuntely, medicine doesn't have the answer to everything. I do understand that many don't trust researchers, but the only study that showed a link between vaccines and autism was fraudulent. I think that we will SLOWLY unravel what is going on here....maybe by figuring out the REAL diagnoses. Autism is like Cancer. It's a lumped together diagnosis that can have a zillion different causes, some genetic and some enviromental, as well as a zillion different treatments. Breast Cancer is different than pancreatic cancer or prostate cancer or brain cancer, etc. None of these are caused by the same gene or treated with the same regimen. Right now, there are too few cases to get much meaningful research. What people do need to understand about research is that no matter who is funding it, the people doing the actual research do WANT to figure out what is going on. There is no grand conspiracy to hide the cause of autism so that more kids can be "infected" by continued use of vaccines.
My main argument against just letting parents continue blaming vaccines is that it takes the focus away from finding out what is really behind this disorder.

[AKA_Monet]

Well, based on what the OP is discussing, the variant CACNAG1 was done by screening 2000 families on an autism chip--basically a huge fishing experiment and might be a calcium ionophore. By the time they get the sequence they can make the genetically modified rodent model and do series of animal tests, like Barnes-Maze and Modified Water Maze, and make some determinations...

I suspect you have some epigenetic phenomena going on moreso in Autism because it is a cross-genetic spectrum disease, rather mono-genetic.

Calcium dysregulation is common in most mental illnesses and neurological illnesses. Last year in Science, they showed there was some effects with Bipolar on the regulation of calcium. However, calcium flux is so transient and removal of stores are under a steady state condition, actual detection of changes are not observed until there is pathology--i.e. that seen in muscle, including cardiac.

Adding EGTA or Thapsigargin in either a cell-based assay or rodent model through osmotic pump, might prove interesting... Functional changes to this gene to vary the variant, may show that either binding to Ca+2 has changed.

But, it looks like in neurons, you are pretty much taking about neural synapses, I guess some form of mitos might be there? IDK? I would have a better understanding if it was SER and muscle.

[moe.ron]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

Well, based on what the OP is discussing, the variant CACNAG1 was done by screening 2000 families on an autism chip--basically a huge fishing experiment and might be a calcium ionophore. By the time they get the sequence they can make the genetically modified rodent model and do series of animal tests, like Barnes-Maze and Modified Water Maze, and make some determinations...

I suspect you have some epigenetic phenomena going on moreso in Autism because it is a cross-genetic spectrum disease, rather mono-genetic.

Calcium dysregulation is common in most mental illnesses and neurological illnesses. Last year in Science, they showed there was some effects with Bipolar on the regulation of calcium. However, calcium flux is so transient and removal of stores are under a steady state condition, actual detection of changes are not observed until there is pathology--i.e. that seen in muscle, including cardiac.

Adding EGTA or Thapsigargin in either a cell-based assay or rodent model through osmotic pump, might prove interesting... Functional changes to this gene to vary the variant, may show that either binding to Ca+2 has changed.

But, it looks like in neurons, you are pretty much taking about neural synapses, I guess some form of mitos might be there? IDK? I would have a better understanding if it was SER and muscle.

Wow, I have no idea what you're talking about, but I feel very smart just reading it.