NPR has a story that indicates that autism may be basically a function of too much mylenination (the body's natural nerve insulation), while M.S. is too little, according to a new study.
On the bright side, we are much further along in finding medical treatments for M.S., than for autism for which treatment has been basically intractable, and the new understanding of autism may shed light on how to treat it derived from M.S. research.
On the bright side, we are much further along in finding medical treatments for M.S., than for autism for which treatment has been basically intractable, and the new understanding of autism may shed light on how to treat it derived from M.S. research.
Is this study in some way exceptional to warrant a mention (NPR yet)? Over the last 2-3 generations a very large graveyard of studies on MS and ASD has accumulated. Still only symptom descriptions, mostly subjective for ASD, are the findings. No cure, reversal or really operational explanations.
ReplyDeleteTo the contrary, the progress in M.S. has been exceptional. There are now drugs that effectively stop its progress and even reverse symptoms in humans. Naturally, mice get the cutting edge drugs and treatments before humans do. Indeed, in general, we've made great progress in treating auto-immune diseases, of which M.S. is one example.
ReplyDeleteWe understand ASD much better than we did, as primarily a genetically caused cluster of disorders that present similarly, but have no meaningful cure, although we do have a much better operational understanding of it.