Gene Editing For Autism: A New Form of Lobotomy?
This article from Newsweek appeared in my inbox and I read it with great surprise -- and alarm:
THE END OF AUTISM? CRISPR CAN EDIT OUT AUTISM TRAITS, SCIENTISTS SAY
Scientists have figured how to use a form of the powerful gene-editing tool CRISPR to erase genetic traits normally associated with autism. It is technology that could one day revolutionize the therapies that treat autism and improve the lives of thousands of people who suffer from the developmental disorder, the researchers say.
CRISPR has been a game changer in the biomedical research world because of the ease and precision with which it can be used to alter the genetic code. A team of scientists in Texas used it to edit out genes associated with autism traits in mice and observed clear results: The animals stopped digging obsessively, their erratic jumping around the cages slowed to a halt and they became more calm, according to the study published in the monthly journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.
This technology might be years away from being tested on humans, but the results are promising, lead author of the study neuroscientist Hye Young Lee told Newsweek.
Lee, an autism researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, used a very thin needle to inject CRISPR-Cas9 into the brain tissue of mice, targeting the striatum, a region in the brain known to mediate habit formation.
CRISPR-Cas9 is made of just a few ingredients. The RNA, a nucleic acid present in all living cells, is like a messenger, a guide that allows a specific site on the genome to be targeted. It is used along with a bacterial enzyme, called Cas9, which acts like molecular scissors, cutting the DNA at an exact point……
Thin NEEDLE INJECTED into the BRAIN -- SCISSORS --- CUTTING? That does have hints of this:
The lobotomy procedure was first done by the Portuguese neurologist, Egas Moniz, who believed that patients with obsessive behavior were suffering from fixed circuits in the brain. His original technique was then adapted by others, with similar procedures. Surgeons would drill a pair of holes into the skull, either at the side or top, and push a sharp instrument - a leucotome - into the brain and then the surgeon would sweep this from side to side, to cut the connections between the frontal lobes and the rest of the brain. By the 1940's it was being seen as a miracle cure, used to treat a range of illnesses, from schizophrenia to depression and compulsive disorders. Starting in the mid-1950s, it rapidly fell out of favor, partly because of poor results and partly because of the introduction of the first wave of effective psychiatric drugs, which were safer and more effective.
"I got increasingly conservative about it because I don't think any of us were ever really happy about putting in a brain needle and stirring the works," he says. "Not a nice thought."
- Psychiatrist Dr John Pippard after turning against lobotomies
~~~~~~~
Is this really supposed to help autism? I read studies and much research, plus also write about Megan and her many health issues . Of course there is the behavioral aspects of autism as it is a gut-brain disease we are talking about. It includes the immune system , that hugely important bacterial and viral stew that is turning out to be the driver in many of these autoimmune diseases that affect the brain . Autism is NOT a genetic condition, though it if often spun like it is so elaborate and expensive research can keep the cash cow happy. It is a GUT-IMMUNE-BRAIN disease .
Further research brought these issues to light:
■ CRISPR could use gold nanoparticles to edit your Brain - In this study, the researchers used CRISPR-Gold to edit the brains of mice with fragile X syndrome, a genetic condition that is correlated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While fragile X syndrome is a genetic disorder that can be diagnosed in genetic testing, clinicians diagnose ASD based behavioral criteria like repetitive behaviors. That means that it’s hard to discuss the idea of a “cure” for autism, but it may be possible, using CRISPR-Gold, to treat the fragile X syndrome that causes ASD-correlated behaviors in some individuals.
The virus DNA in the brain can have side effects, because it doesn’t go away once the CRISPR operation is done. Using the gold nanoparticles removes the issue of foreign DNA that’s producing damaging proteins, one of the central issues of CRISPR. Still, leaving bits of gold in the brain isn’t good either,...
I want to emphasize that this is not the solution,” says Lee. She says it might be possible, using this technology, to allow autistic people to treat unwanted symptoms such as repetitive behaviors just like they might with medicine—with the difference that CRISPR changes would likely be permanent .
SO virus DNA or gold could be permanently left in the brain. That this is aimed for the “genetic disorder, Fragile X” (2%-3% of all cases of asd), but then below it seems to include ALL of the autism spectrum. Plus, it’s not “the solution” yet it could be permanent. Sounds confusing!
■ Autism patients also tend to engage in repetitive behavior, like rocking back and forth and flapping their arms. The study suggests that these behaviors could be remedied through gene editing. These results could also open the door for further research on how to alter genes related to the other autism traits, said Lee. “I really want to give hope for patients and families. It is such a social burden on them …….
I must say that sounds offensive to me. I am not looking to help my daughter because she is a SOCIAL BURDEN. Megan has behaviors related to antibodies that will not let her brain rest. LIke most with an asd diagnosis, the gut bacteria are too pathogenic with beneficial bacteria lacking. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5408485/ She has OCD and tics with her gut and immune system as the source, and it can be exhausting. She can have physical pain. She has immune dysfunction. She is nonverbal. She has sensory overload. She has had severe seizures. Diet, probiotics and supplements aimed at her immune system can help. Research is showing that immune treatments, like high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin are proving to be very effective for autism. That makes sense and we need these asap to help so many very ill asd patients, but editing their brains ------ sounds like a sci-fi experiment.
■ People with autism demonstrate repetitive behaviors and impaired habit learning. Yet the neural circuits underlying these behaviors remain unclear. The dorsolateral striatum is a region of the brain that has been implicated in habit formation and repetitive behavior. Nevertheless, the link between dysfunction of this structure and autism-related repetitive behavior remains elusive. The striatum, the major input structure of the basal ganglia area of the brain,...........
■ Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms such as tics, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and other symptoms characteristic of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS). Abnormal anti-neuronal autoantibody responses against the basal ganglia are elevated in neuropsychiatric disorders such as PANDAS. Our study suggests that anti-neuronal autoantibodies in ASD may be associated with the presence of PANDAS and investigates microbial polysaccharides as potential inducers of anti-neuronal autoantibodies in children with confirmed ASD or ASD/PANDAS.
■ The development of efficient and reliable ways to make precise, targeted changes https://www.neb.com/tools-and-resources/feature-articles/crispr-cas9-and-targeted-genome-editing-a-new-era-in-molecular-biology to the genome of living cells is a long-standing goal for biomedical researchers. Recently, a new tool based on a bacterial CRISPR-associated protein-9 nuclease (Cas9) from Streptococcus pyogenes has generated considerable excitement…….
Wow. The last thing any of these children and young adults need entering their bodies are pathogenic BACTERIA or VIRUSES.
■ Many of the proposed applications involve editing the genomes of somatic (non-reproductive) cells, but there has been interest in and debate about the potential to edit reproductive cells. However, any changes made in these cells will be passed on from generation to generation and, as such, have important ethical implications. ...CRISPRCas9 procedures on reproductive cells during early stages of pregnancy could be passed on to subsequent generations with unanticipated consequences…...
“Editing reproductive cells” sounds reminiscent of this:
http://exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/eugenics/exhibit4-4/
■ Human trials are expected to get underway in Western Countries this year, and China has been experimenting with CRISPR-Cas9 for a while. Now, however, a new study by Stanford University researchers has found that a high percentage of people may contain immune responses that could prevent CRISPR-Cas9’s from working, or even be dangerous.
The study analyzed blood for antibodies to two bacteria from which Cas9 is derived: Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. The researchers’ concern stemmed from the fact that these bacteria frequently cause infections in humans…..Of more serious concern is that the researchers also found T-cells that could attack cells producing Cas9 proteins in six out of 13 donors, because “The existence of the pre-existing cellular immunity would likely both limit the effectiveness of and create safety concerns for Cas9-based genome editing.
Stanford’s finding definitely puts a bit of a cloud over the future of CRISPR-Cas9
As we can see, it’s very important to do RESEARCH on the research. Editing genes now or erasing them for future generations seems to have numerous negatives. My daughter has an autism diagnosis that is related to her autoimmune diagnosis. We are learning more and more about the gut-brain connection in autism . Cutting and pasting DNA seems to be an expensive, money-maker with much danger associated to it. Who is this really helping? Our children deserve better.
WHERE do they get the "Autistic Mice" for the study ???
I would suppose from another scientist down the hall, injecting them with the normal CDC vaccine program.
Posted by: go Trump | July 06, 2018 at 07:59 AM
One Flew over the French Doors/Still Game series 7 you tube. Navid's just refused his Flu jab ? so ain't hanging around for a "Full Frontal" chemical or behavioural Labotomy either!
Iceland ,cure for Downs Syndrome promoting Genetic Counselling " But think about it dear, will the child ever be able to learn how to tie their own shoe laces ?"
Assisted dying -how does it work in aDutch Clinic? the guardian.com/life and style 11 sept 2015
Euthanasia offered to folk over 70 who have become bored or tired with life?
Have no doubt about it what- so- ever, behavioural issues of different presentation of severity could easily be considered and assessed as "unbearable suffering" eugenics is in full swing with new terminology to support and justify its own end of cost/ benefit analysis in health and social care. provision !
Posted by: Morag | July 06, 2018 at 05:16 AM
Regarding lobotomies, something similar was carried out on one of JFK and RFK’s sisters who was, in the old phrase, “never the same again”.
Posted by: British Autism Mother | July 06, 2018 at 04:16 AM
Thanks Teresa Crisper SLUDGER would be more apt..poly-morphing is that not to do with different traits in diffrent people i.e. were all diffrent ..move on ... these days they just use the chemical cosh lobotomy via anti-psychotic drugs a lot less messier than a pick axe to the front of the brain but has the saame effect in the same are what a coincidence.....as for gold in the brain are they having a larf...but they sound soo convincing !NOT!
Pharma For Prison
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | July 05, 2018 at 05:14 PM
40,000 to 50,000 people in U.S. hospitals and mental institutions were once given lobotomies, according to author Jack El-Hai. His 2007 book "The Lobotomist: A Maverick Medical Genius and His Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness" is a biography of neurologist Dr. Walter J. Freeman, who promoted the controversial medical procedure starting in 1936.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/11/30/pdg.lobotomy/index.html
Posted by: nhokkanen | July 05, 2018 at 05:00 PM
Carolyn KylesMom CA; that too was my first knee jerk wild, rambling thoughts too!
We must be twins!
Posted by: Benedetta | July 05, 2018 at 03:58 PM
The very reason that a lot of money goes to the Universities and research labs that are studying "Autism" is mainly because of Fragile X Syndrome. That is their great link to the 'Autism is genetic theory," and barrels of scientific/medical money. While Fragile X might look similar or have some similar behaviors, it needs to be removed from the term of Autism or Autism needs to be removed from Fragile X. The barrels of money need to be routed to helping with the Purely Medical Condition of Autism and quickly now that 1 in 34 kids in NJ (1 in 22 boys) have Autism as it is the only state required to report it-thus, it is a more accurate account. Those numbers are based on children born in 2006 who turned 8 in 2014 and the report finally came out in 2018. Toddlers and little children have far more injuries and autism. Imagine if people with broken Tibias got diagnosed with Arthritis instead of a broken bone because in both cases the leg hurts. Our society is still paying the price for Autism being written up as a Psychiatric condition only in 1943. That occurred right after children became guinea pigs and were shot up with a new kind of mercury starting in 1929 through the late 1930's and written up by Dr. Leo Kanner; Leo Kanner - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Kanner
Leo Kanner was an Austrian-American psychiatrist, physician, and social activist best known for ... In 1943, Kanner published his landmark paper, "Autistic Disturbances of ..... The Dr. Leo Kanner Award was created by The Mind Research Foundation for those who actively serve children with autism and their families.
We have had quite enough of this nonsense and science without a conscience.
Posted by: Shelley Tzorfas | July 05, 2018 at 01:42 PM
Thank you Teresa for a great article as always. I had the same thought as Carolyn KylesMom. Does this procedure mean autistic people are missing nano-particles of gold? (and have foreign DNA?)
Posted by: Beleaguered Autism Mom | July 05, 2018 at 01:16 PM
So, this seems to be about reducing the annoying coping symptoms of autism for those on the outside of the individual with autism? And I'm sure it will all be made out to be "helping" those with autism, nevermind what internal state it leaves them in, and in California, if Pan and others had their way, parents would have to do these things to their children or be accused of denying their children their basic "rights."
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | July 05, 2018 at 11:03 AM
Thanks Teresa. This is frightening indeed. I suspect CRISPR is as "precise" as the "precision" bombs we're dropping all over the Middle East. possibly as deadly, and it is undoubtedly driven by the vast sums of money the ruling class are investing in "biomedical" research, dreaming of a tidy fortune to be made. Theranos comes to mind here. That didn't work out too well.
Posted by: Gary Ogden | July 05, 2018 at 08:26 AM
This reminds me a little of Theresa Diesher's theories on aborted foetus dna fragments being in many of the vaccines like the mmr and how these dna fragments are readily picked up the stem cells of the recipient of the vaccine for some reason (& how they potentially go on and change the course of events in the life of the person)!
https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/The_Role_of_Epstein-Barr_Virus_in_Burkitt's_Lymphoma
She also talked about the rising incidence of Burkitts cancer in the mass vaccine proliferation era.
Posted by: Hans Litten | July 05, 2018 at 07:26 AM
But wasn't one of the first autism patients treated with gold salts? Gold binds with mercury . . . is this relevant? apologies if not . . .
This story just scares me.
Posted by: Carolyn KylesMom CA | July 05, 2018 at 06:58 AM
The stupid things that so-called scientists think up are seemingly without end.
There seem to be "hundreds" of gene which are allegedly "causing" autism. Do they plan to edit every one of those . . . ?
A lot of these so-called "scientists" are young guys, still dumb as a brick in a lot of ways -- although they think themselves quite clever indeed. These are the same ones that name genes -- hedgehog, and "Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2"
They're about as responsible as Trump. And about as much to be trusted with real lives of real people.
Posted by: Nonnymouse | July 05, 2018 at 06:24 AM
Careful everyone, genius at work :
"I got increasingly conservative about it because I don't think any of us were ever really happy about putting in a brain needle and stirring the works," he says. "Not a nice thought."
- Psychiatrist Dr John Pippard after turning against lobotomies
And another genius :
The lobotomy procedure was first done by the Portuguese neurologist, Egas Moniz
http://eugenicsarchive.ca/discover/connections/531f88e0132156674b000210#!
STANFORD UNIVERSITY hear this well (dumbasses or liars - which is it ?):
No Vaccines, No Autism !
Posted by: Hans Litten | July 05, 2018 at 06:16 AM