Dr. Derrick MacFabe
Director and Principal Investigator of the Kilee-Patchell-Evans Autism Research Group, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. Departments of Psychology (Neuroscience) & Psychiatry (Division of Developmental Disabilities).
Dr. MacFabe has a particular interest in the role of pre and post natal infectious processes in the etiology and behaviours of autism spectrum disorders. As a principal investigator at the Kilee Patchell-Evans Autism Research Group he is actively contributing to the development of novel animal models as well as the role of genetics, biochemistry and environment on the identification and possible treatments of autism spectrum disorders. In 2007, work on autism by his research group was listed among the top 50 scientific discoveries in Canada by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
Dr. Tore Midtvedt
Professor Emeritus at Medical Department of Medical Microbial Ecology, Cell and Molecular Biology at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
Tore Midtvedt is a specialist in Medical Microbiology and the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease. He is a pioneering researcher in the development of microbial eco-systems, and their effect on health. Dr. Midtvedt has received several international awards, published more than 800 papers, articles, abstracts, and book chapters. In 2008 he presented his research on gut flora and the bacteria affecting behaviour for the Nobel symposium.
Dr. Martha Herbert
Dr. Martha Herbert is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, and a Pediatric Neurologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
She is director of the TRANSCEND Research Program (Treatment Research and Neuroscience Evaluation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders).
Dr. Herbert recently received the first Cure Autism Now Innovator Award and is the Co-Chair of the Environmental Health Advisory Board of the Autism Society of America. Her research program includes studying what makes some autistic brains unusually large, how the parts of the brain are connected and coordinated with each other, and how we can develop a measure sensitive to changes in brain function that could result from treatment interventions.
Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe
Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
Dr. Allen-Vercoe’s research focuses on the study of the normal human gut microflora, both in disease and in health. She focuses on 2 key diseases with connections to gut microflora: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (crohn’s and ulcerative colitis), and regressive autism. Allen-Vercoe’s research seeks to further characterize the microflora of autistic patients, and to determine whether certain bacterial products may somehow be involved in the etiology of autism. Her laboratory is collaborating with The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard to contribute to the human microbiome project.
Dr Sidney Finegold
Dr. Finegold is a world-renowned authority on the biology and taxonomy of anaerobic bacteria and has contributed significantly to the knowledge of these disease-producing organisms. An award-winning researcher with a career spanning 60 years, Finegold’s reputation is global in scale.
Three recently discovered “bugs” have been named after him by research groups in the UK, Finland, and Japan. In 2009 he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his research work at the Veterans Administration in West Los Angeles.
Finegold’s current focuses are on the role of intestinal bacteria in autism; antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis; and role of intestinal bacteria in autoimmune disease. His discovery that clostridial spores exist in high levels in the guts of autistic children has led to further exploration of bacterial species in autism, and most recently to the discovery of a crucial bug in the disorder.
Staff Physician, Infectious Diseases Section, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Emeritus Professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine
Emeritus Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, UCLA
Someone please please look at this and disseminate to the appropriate people involved in this documentary. I’ve been trying to get onto the creators about this since I saw this documentary on Australian Television years ago. My dvd arrived and I watched it this morning.
“Human Probiotic Infusion”
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3269844.htm
There’s a centre in Sydney that does this, hopefully in time it will be cheaper and more readily available, but they treat the clostridia. health and happiness to all.
Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by rare mutations, or by rare combinations of common genetic variants.”‘””
Bye
<http://wellnessdigest.co
I found this documentary resonated with me because I have Addison’s Disease, which presents with gastric distress. I had loose stools, but never nausea, for years (culminating in my going from 145 lbs to 95 lbs) before I succumbed to an Addisonian crisis and was diagnosed. It turns out that that was par for the course with those like me. It’s rare, and therefore not likely to be of interest for early research, but I’m interested in the correlation vs. causation issue here.
I would be keen to see the research extend to other mental illnesses that this bacteria can cause. Specifically I believe it is responsible for the increase in depression and altimers. When my happy 9 year old was given a series of eight powerful antibiotics consecutively to cure a persistent cough he was left a suicidal anxiety mess. The reason that this research resonated was the fact that he was also left with cronic loose stools. It just seems like a strange coincidence that both his brain and bowl were so affected. The rise in depression and altimers mirror the escalation of autism. Bad gut bugs haves lot to answer for! Autism is the pointy end of this issue but maybe there could be greater sources of funding the research by broadening the health issue?
Hello Claudia,
This is certainly something that was mentioned by researchers time and again during the making of the film. Neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia have been linked to altered gut microbiota, so I would imagine we may see more work on this in the future.
Thanks very much for commenting.
Since one of the theories in this documentary is about specific bacteria in the gut releasing neurotoxins that impair brain function thereby contributing to or causing autism more research should be done (if it hasn’t already) to determine what this neurotoxin is and if it can be treated with an anti-venom like you would with neurotoxins from spider bites and snake bites. Does this neurotoxin behave similar to those? What does the neurotoxin from these bacteria do in higher concentrations? You could paraphrase the effects as being ‘brain paralysis’ of essential parts of the brain. How much does this differ from neurotoxins that cause bodily paralysis and heart failure? Do higher concentrations of this particular neurotoxin cause a fatal response? Any of these questions ‘could’ lead to surprising insight into what is going on and may highlight more precise and effective directions for future research.
Also agree we need a lot more research into potential dietary causes and cures however there is a money making machine that would like to divert attention elsewhere and to strictly patentable cures.
I just watched the program on autism. The link with clostridial toxins reminded me about an article I read about an unconventional treatment for C difficile GI related conditions:
Borody TJ, Warren EF, Leis S, et al: Bacteriotherapy using fecal flora: Toying
with human motions. J Clin Gastroenterol 38(6):475-483, 2004
Worth reading!
Activated Charcoal to absorb toxins and help probiotic treament re-establish a balance micro flora
Hearing of how antibiotic kills many of the good micro flora but leave those like Clostridia and Desulfovibrio, which inturn produce toxins or other acids that may contribute toward autism, I wounder if you could use an approach that allowed good gut bugs to re-establish themselves by removing the toxins from the gut.
I understand that bad gut bugs once they have a hold setup a toxic environment that makes it near impossible for a good bugs to re-establish themselves. As activated charcoal has proven very effective at absorbing toxins, could it be used to purge the gut environment of said toxins and then allow good bugs to be re-introduced to perhaps be able and achieve the balanced needed for a healthy gut.
I personally have seen charcoal used in this way and have used it myself and for family to treat diarrhoea, and at worse Clostridium difficile colitis.
The approach I have used with any gastric upset or after taking antibiotics is to take 4 activated charcoal tables (250 mg each) once or twice in a day, and then the next day or so take some probiotics to reinsert good bugs back into the system.
Anyway this is just intended as food for thought and offered as such …
I just watched this documentry on “The Nature of Things”, twice.
Autism has touched my life, my niece was diagnosed with Autism 17 years ago. However I am not here to talk about her, I am here to talk about the bacteria connection. Years ago I came across something called “Colloidal Silver”, I purchased a machine to produce it myself. I personally fear no bacteria, viruses or funguses now that I have it. I have many personal anecdotes pertaining to this substance and it’s abilities, many of which are about animals whom I don’t believe are susceptible to the placebo effect. That being said, as I watched the show the second time I did a quick search on the internet to see if anyone had ever given an autistic person colloidal silver. This one has, please read this post. http://autismweb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=27662 Interesting isn’t it?
My intent with this post is to create some interest in this possible treatment. If anyone can pass it on to any of the health care professionals who participated in this film and to Ellen Bolte, please do.
In closing I am aware of outragous claims about colloidal silver on the internet. However, it would be a shame to not try it in their research. After all it just might be a way to advance the work that Dr. Finegold and Ellen Bolte started.
Thank you for your time
Ed Edwards
Oh hi, yes my son has autism. Typical set of noted markers, loss of speech at 18 months, full blown autism by three years old. I really think this ‘gut’ disorder is correct. One item I noticed which is never talked about is the Mother having a yeast infection at, near or shortly before conception along with the normal treatment, monistat. I really believe this needs checking into or questions need to be asked if there is any connection between monistat usage and autism.
I think the research should be in the dietary field. People are beating the vaccination theories to death. If it’s not the cause MOVE ON! I’m more than upset to think that Dr. Finegold published a paper regarding a possible bacterial theory and nobody followed thru. If this is the key to the massive growth of Autism, it could have been leaps and bounds ahead of where we are today regarding the cause.
I have a 5 yr old with Autism and I’m hurt to think that she could have been spared the pain she has dealt with for the past 5 yrs. She could not pass bowel movements at the age of 3 months, I took her to the dr. and I was told it was constipation……she is scared to death now to go to the bathroom. If it’s a PPA problem I don’t know what I’ll do, a simple diet change could have spared us all a lot of pain.
I hope the medical communities start looking at fixing the problems and stop harping about what it isn’t, since they can’t tell us what it is!
Autism,cancers,immune diseases are increasing at an alarming rate and that makes me wonder if they are not all tied together in some way.I am almost certain that what we put in our mouths are responsible for most of the problems.
I have Scleroderma and my sister has Lupus,both eventually fatal immune diseases and the only way we are in remission is because of antibiotics ,probiotics and a very careful diet.
My heart breaks for young families with children who have these diseases,taking antibiotics for the foreseeable future really is not an option for them.We are 55+ and can spend the rest of our days going the antibiotic protocol route
I am thrilled to hear Dr. Herbert mention dietary intervention. For my son, going organic, removing casein and grains and incorporating fermented foods and healing broths has had THE most profound effect.
It would be good to know why so many children are being diagnosed with autism But its too late for us even if we knew the answer. We now concentrate on making our children well, and more healthy. I am looking forward to the show about autism . It is so great you are bringing this part of autism to more peoples attention. We have done many things for our children’s autism. We have been trying to heal their gut for many year. Our 11 year old is recovered from autism we did it with a very strict diet and he still is on it. We also have a 7 year old and 9 year old with autism. Our kids are on Gluten free, SCD diet , sugar free, organic, our own home grown eggs, raw milk, beef, chicken and pork diet We took store bought milk out of the kids diet over 4 years ago. I wanted to try raw milk, so we bought a cow and I learned to milk a cow. The raw kefir, yogurt and milk help to heal their belly. I think the diet of children with autism is a very important part of healing them . Our child at 3 and 5 years of age could not speak, after we implement the diet the speech came with in a matter of days our 5 year old spoke her first real sentence ( I am so happy ) I knew then we were on to something. So thanks for letting the world know there really is more parents can do than just accept autism, it can be healed. We have not finished our journey of healing our children yet . They are getting better everyday. Shannon Tara Salt Spring Island shannontara@shaw.ca
It is scary to think if nothing is done for the here and now , the future will see the exact opposite of our world. Non-autistics will be 1-90 . My son Myles is autistic as well as adhd and seems to not fit in with mainstream already I am on a personal mission to have the public school system change this I created two faceboook page a website and a petition to raise awareness. I have sent personal requests to all forms of media and have met a wall of non-interest. Autism seems to be the last thing mentioned in the scope of human well being. I wish this also to change. It tears me apart seeing any child afflicted with autism or any ailment. How people can turn away so easily to a child in need deeply saddens me.
Please look at the petition sign and pass it on if you wish thank you.
http://www.change.org/petitions/help-families-and-diagnosed-children-with-autism-receive-free-education
here are the facebook pages as well
http://www.facebook.com/groups/216859098346698/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/181587195265252/
Thank you