Research summaries for autism therapy: antibodies

definition of antibodies: Proteins that are normally made by white blood cells of the immune system to help fight infections. Antibodies bind to cells, viruses, or chemicals in the body and help the immune system to destroy these foreign things. Antibodies are also used for treatment of a variety of health conditions including autism. Also called immunoglobulins.
|

Autism: An Emerging ‘Neuroimmune Disorder’ in Search of Therapy, Summarized Dec 4, 2009

Scientists are learning that the immune system may contribute to autism symptoms, and may be a good target for autism therapies.

The immune system is the system in the body that fights infections. Scientific evidence is building that tells us that the immune system might contribute to some autism symptoms. Studies show that people with autism have signs of inflammation (turned-up immune system), including inflammation in the brain. Some people with autism had antibodies (immune-active proteins) against brain proteins. If the immune system is important, new drug therapies to help balance the immune system might be helpful.

Read more...

Syndrome of Allergy, Apraxia, and Malabsorption: Characterization of a Neurodevelopmental Phenotype that Responds to Omega 3 and Vitamin E Supplementation, Summarized Sep 4, 2009

Combined vitamin E and omega 3 therapy may help a type of verbal apraxia (speech problems) that may be caused by food allergies and nutritional problems, and could affect children with autism.... They reported low carnitine levels, high anti-gluten antibodies, low vitamin D levels, fat absorption problems, and other results. The authors described how nutrition and metabolism might be different in some children with autism.... Read more...

Autoimmunity in Autism, Summarized Jul 7, 2009

The immune system may be involved in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and may be damaging the nervous system in some people with autism.... For example, some mothers of children with autism have antibodies (certain proteins) in their blood that bind to fetal brain tissue. Some people with autism have increased cytokines, another marker of an active immune system.... Read more...

Folate Receptor Autoimmunity and Cerebral Folate Deficiency in Low-Functioning Autism with Neurological Deficits, Summarized Jun 30, 2008

Treatment with the B vitamin folate may reverse the symptoms of autism in some children.

The purpose of this study was to see if some children with autism have trouble getting the B vitamin folate into the brain. The children also had other health issues such as marked unrest, slowing of head growth, and low muscle tone. The study had 25 patients with early-onset low functioning autism. All but two of these children had low levels of folate in the fluid of the spinal cord. Folate was not able to get into the brain because the children were making antibodies that stopped the cells from carrying the folate from the blood to the brain. Read more...

Showing 1-4 of 6 results

Synonyms for antibodies include: immunoglobulins
|