What research is being done on Autism?

What research is being done?

In 1997, at the request of Congress, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) formed its Autism Coordinating Committee (NIH/ACC) to enhance the quality, pace and coordination of efforts at the NIH to find a cure for autism (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-pervasive-developmental-disorders/nih-initiatives/nih-autism-coordinating-committee.shtml). The NIH/ACC involves the participation of seven NIH Institutes and Centers: the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders,  the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Institute of Nursing Research, and the National Center on Complementary and Alternative Medicine.  The NIH/ACC has been instrumental in the understanding of and advances in ASD research.  The NIH/ACC also participates in the broader Federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) that is composed of representatives from various component agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the U.S. Department of Education and other government organizations.

In fiscal years 2007 and 2008, NIH began funding the 11 Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE), coordinated by the NIH/ACC.  The ACEs are investigating early brain development and functioning, social interactions in infants, rare genetic variants and mutations, associations between autism-related genes and physical traits, possible environmental risk factors and biomarkers, and a potential new medication treatment. 

UofL Neuroscientist So Close To Autism Breakthrough He's Helping Fund Research

By Lori Lyle

(LOUISVILLE) -- New findings could mean an incredible treatment for people with autism -- so incredible that a researcher at the University of Louisville is digging into his own pockets to make it happen as quickly as possible.

Dr. Manuel Casanova, a neuroscientist at the University of Louisville, is passionate about his research. His most recent published study finds drastic differences in the brains of autistic individuals. And now, with this knowledge, he's eager to move to the next step: treatment.

The breakthrough discovery is the result of a 3-year study involving top scientists around the world.

Dr. Casanova's team at the University of Louisville was responsible for conducting the study that analyzed tissue from 12 brains -- six of them taken from people with autism.

He says the results are unquestionable, and explain symptoms exhibited from autistic patients, such as trouble speaking.

"It means that we have uncovered something very important, because it has explanatory powers," Casanova says.

The brain strands or minicolumns of autism patients have more cells, but they are narrower and more densely packed -- which can limit the brain's ability to send messages.

Dr. Casanova says that's because "there's not enough juice to actually power very long connections in the brain."

Examining tissues from a normal brain and the brain of an autistic person, Dr. Casanova explains the differences. "The more bluish staining actually means more cells present," he says.

More cells and smaller cells, making up tiny brain strands, or minicolumns. These minicolums take in information, process it and respond to it.

But the increased amount of cells works to increase other abilities -- like mathematics.

Armed with this knowledge, Dr. Casanova is ready to begin working on wiping out autism entirely. "Knowing the pathology, what is wrong with the brains of autistic individuals, opens the door to potential strategies that may actually even lead to a cure."

Dr. Casanova's first step: developing a brain stimulator to bulk-up the brain strands. And he feels so strongly about the potential that he's ready to pay for it with his own money. "I approached the university, told them I needed equipment for preliminary studies and I would match the money with my own money."

The cost for the equipment that could forever change the diagnosis of autism: $40,000. Dr. Casanova is confident he's on the verge of a major breakthrough. "Something good is about to happen," he said.

Prevention is of course the main goal for a cure, and Dr. Casanova is working on that, too. He says research findings so far point to both genetics and the environment.

Research on Autism

Since 1965, the Autism Society has been a leader in serving people with autism, their families and the professionals who serve them. While we are not a research organization, we interpret research for our constituents and contribute to major research initiatives. We are an honest broker of information about current studies and issue bulletins to our constituents to communicate and explain key new research findings. Today, 60 individuals will be diagnosed with autism, and their families have no clear path to treat the symptoms of this complex condition. For this reason, the Autism Society wants to keep our constituents fully informed of research developments as they arise.

The Autism Society currently sponsors two initiatives in the research arena. The Environmental Health Initiative reviews and interprets current research findings in environmental exposures on brain development and on general public health. It brings speakers and research developments to our constituents and joins the Autism Society in coalition with other health, environmental justice and workers' rights organizations to empower policy and advocacy actions for toxic chemical reform. The project includes data collection research on environmental triggers of autism, as well as environmental factors that exacerbate health conditions.

The second initiative is a comprehensive, coordinated Treatment Guided Research Initiative to learn more about autism through the ways people respond to treatments. By collecting data on treatments and analyzing what has been effective in diet, medical treatments, educational, behavioral and therapeutic interventions, we may be able to offer practical treatment advice that will help in the present. This information is sorely needed now, for families dealing with autism daily, before the significant work on defining the origins of autism is complete.