PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Worms and hot baths: Novel approaches to treating autism

2013-12-12
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Laura Hill
lhill@acnp.org
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Worms and hot baths: Novel approaches to treating autism Hollywood, FL (December 12, 2013) – A new study shows that two unusual treatment approaches may have beneficial effects on the symptoms of autism in children and adults with the disorder. Using a hot bath to raise body temperature and thereby mimic the effects of infection, or using worm eggs to stimulate the production of immunoregulatory factors in the gut to diminish inflammatory signals, both attenuated symptoms of autism. These findings support the idea that disruption of systems in the body that control inflammation may contribute to the disorder. The study was presented today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) Annual Meeting.

Approximately 1 in 88 children are afflicted with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A prevailing hypothesis of ASD is that a hyperactive immune system, resulting in elevated levels of inflammation, may contribute to the disorder. Consistent with this possibility, it is known that approximately one third of those with ASD show a clinical improvement in symptoms in response to a fever.

In a new study led by Eric Hollander MD, a professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, the effects of two novel treatment approaches that modify aspects of inflammation were tested on ASD symptoms.

First, as fever may trigger the release of protective anti-inflammatory signals in the body, the effects of raising body temperature to mimic fever on ASD symptoms were assessed. It was found that children with ASD and a history of positive behavioral response to fever had improved social behaviors when bathed each day in a hot tub at 102oF compared with water at 98 oF.

Second, using a more unusual approach, adults with ASD were treated for 12 weeks with Trichuris suis ova (TSO), which are the eggs of the worm helminth trichura (whip worm). This worm is safe in humans as it does not multiply in the host, is not transmittable by contact, and is cleared spontaneously. However, the worms can inhibit immune-mediated responses and diminish inflammation.

The subjects for this study were 10 high functioning ASD patients who were able to give informed consent and who had a history of allergies or a family history of immune-inflammatory illness. Patients were treated for 12 weeks with the worm eggs (2500 eggs every two weeks) but were also subjected to a 12 week placebo phase in a randomized order. It was found that adults with ASD had improvement in repetitive and ritualistic behaviors in response to treatment with the worm eggs.

This is not the first time that worm eggs have been used successfully to treat diseases, particularly immune-related diseases, in humans such as Crohn's Disease. As noted by Dr. Hollander, "TSO has been shown to improve various immune inflammatory illness by shifting the ratio of T regulator/T helper cells and their respective cytokines.."

The findings support the idea that inflammation may contribute to the symptoms of autism, at least in some individuals, and highlight novel treatment approaches. However, as noted by Dr. Hollander, the small sample size and unusual treatment approach means that caution should be exercised when interpreting the studies:

"Future studies in autism spectrum disorders are needed to replicate and expand these findings, and to study younger subjects with more severe irritability"

Nevertheless, the findings raise the intriguing possibility that approaches designed to module immune responses in ASD patients may be future treatment approaches for the disorder.

###

ACNP, founded in 1961, is a professional organization of more than 700 leading scientists, including four Nobel Laureates. The mission of ACNP is to further research and education in neuropsychopharmacology and related fields in the following ways: promoting the interaction of a broad range of scientific disciplines of brain and behavior in order to advance the understanding of prevention and treatment of disease of the nervous system including psychiatric, neurological, behavioral and addictive disorders; encouraging scientists to enter research careers in fields related to these disorders and their treatment; and ensuring the dissemination of relevant scientific advances.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Drug cuts breast cancer cases by more than 50 percent in high risk women

2013-12-12
Drug cuts breast cancer cases by more than 50 percent in high risk women Taking the breast cancer drug anastrozole for five years reduced the chances of post-menopausal women at high risk of breast cancer developing the disease by 53% compared ...

What the past tells us about modern sea-level rise

2013-12-12
What the past tells us about modern sea-level rise Researchers from the University of Southampton and the Australian National University report that sea-level rise since the industrial revolution has been fast by natural standards and – at current rates – ...

First step of metastasis halted in mice with breast cancer

2013-12-12
First step of metastasis halted in mice with breast cancer Cell biologists at Johns Hopkins have identified a unique class of breast cancer cells that lead the process of invasion into surrounding tissues. Because invasion is the first step in the deadly process ...

Longer maternity leaves lower women's risk of postpartum depression

2013-12-12
Longer maternity leaves lower women's risk of postpartum depression Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provision of 12 weeks unpaid leave may not be adequate to support maternal health, UMD study shows COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The more leave time from work that a woman takes after ...

Caution to pregnant women on red meat diabetes link

2013-12-12
Caution to pregnant women on red meat diabetes link Pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant can make use of the holiday season to adjust their diets and reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, according to researchers at the University ...

Global map to predict giant earthquakes

2013-12-12
Global map to predict giant earthquakes A team of international researchers, led by Monash University's Associate Professor Wouter Schellart, have developed a new global map of subduction zones, illustrating which ones are predicted to be capable of ...

NUS researchers develop novel bio-inspired method to grow high-quality graphene for high-end electronic devices

2013-12-12
NUS researchers develop novel bio-inspired method to grow high-quality graphene for high-end electronic devices Drawing inspiration from how beetles and tree frogs keep their feet attached to submerged leaves, the study breaks current technology bottleneck ...

A new definition for old age

2013-12-12
A new definition for old age Age is not just the number of years one has lived, argue IIASA population researchers. A new study from the group provides a set of tools for measuring age in all its dimensions. A groundbreaking ...

New study shows link between perfluorinated compounds and diabetes

2013-12-12
New study shows link between perfluorinated compounds and diabetes Perfluorinated compounds are environmental toxins that are found in fire extinguishing foam and water-repellent textiles and, for example. In a new study, a research team led from Uppsala University ...

National evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections in NHS hospitals

2013-12-12
National evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections in NHS hospitals Camden, UK, December 12, 2013 - The Journal of Hospital Infection (JHI) has just released the awaited epic3 guidelines on infection prevention and control for a range of ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Eighty-five years of big tree history available in one place for the first time

MIT invents human brain model with six major cell types to enable personalized disease research, drug discovery

Health and economic air quality co-benefits of stringent climate policies

How immune cells deliver their deadly cargo

How the brain becomes a better listener: How focus enhances sound processing

Processed fats found in margarines unlikely to affect heart health

Scientists discover how leukemia cells evade treatment

Sandra Shi MD, MPH, named 2025 STAT Wunderkind

Treating liver disease with microscopic nanoparticles

Chemicals might be hitching a ride on nanoplastics to enter your skin

Pregnant patients with preexisting high cholesterol may have elevated CV risk

UC stroke experts discuss current and future use of AI tools in research and treatment

The Southern Ocean’s low-salinity water locked away CO2 for decades, but...

OHSU researchers develop functional eggs from human skin cells

Most users cannot identify AI bias, even in training data

Hurricane outages: Analysis details the where, and who, of increased future power cuts

Craters on surface of melanoma cells found to serve as sites for tumor killing

Research Spotlight: Mapping overlooked challenges in stroke recovery

Geographic and temporal patterns of screening for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer in the US

Cannabis laws and opioid use among commercially insured patients with cancer diagnoses

Research Spotlight: Surprising gene mutation in brain’s immune cells linked to increased Alzheimer’s risk

Missing molecule may explain Down syndrome

Donor diabetes and 1-year Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty success rate

Endothelial cell loss 1 year after successful DMEK in the diabetes endothelial keratoplasty study

Overactive Runx1 gene triggers early disc degeneration linked to aging

NYU Langone Health chair of ophthalmology, Dr. Kathryn Colby, honored with Castroviejo Medal at AAO 2025

Chemotherapy combination boosts overall survival in patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer

FAU’s Queen Conch Lab receives prestigious international award

Post-traumatic vasospasm: An overlooked threat after brain injury

Scientists smash record in stacking semiconductor transistors for large-area electronics

[Press-News.org] Worms and hot baths: Novel approaches to treating autism