{"id":6326,"date":"2017-06-09T14:00:18","date_gmt":"2017-06-09T21:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/?p=6326"},"modified":"2017-06-08T22:58:50","modified_gmt":"2017-06-09T05:58:50","slug":"low-dose-suramin-autism-disables-cell-danger-response-speech-calm-focus-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/low-dose-suramin-autism-disables-cell-danger-response-speech-calm-focus-play\/","title":{"rendered":"Low-dose suramin in autism disables cell danger response: leads to speech, calm, focus and play"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I\u2019m fascinated and excited by this new research on cell danger response (CDR): Low-dose suramin in autism spectrum disorder: a small, phase I\/II, randomized clinical trial<\/a>\u00a0abstract and the ramifications for autism as well as anxiety and other chronic health conditions. This recent study was double-blind, placebo-controlled and involved 10 boys, ages 5 to 14 years, all diagnosed with autism. Five of the 10 boys received a single, intravenous infusion of suramin and the other five boys received a placebo.<\/p>\n

As reported in this Science Daily summary: Century-old drug as potential new approach to autism<\/a>, the results seen in two of the autistic children after a single low dose of the 100 year old medication was profound:<\/p>\n

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The six-year-old and the 14-year-old who received suramin said the first sentences of their lives about one week after the single suramin infusion.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The most changed behaviors in all of the five boys who received the suramin were:\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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social communication and play, speech and language, calm and focus, repetitive behaviors and coping skills.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

One of the parents of a 14 year-old who had not spoken a complete sentence in 12 years said this:<\/p>\n

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We saw improvements in our son after suramin that we have never seen before.<\/p>\n

Within an hour after the infusion, he started to make more eye contact with the doctor and nurses in the room. There was a new calmness at times, but also more emotion at other times. He started to show an interest in playing hide-and-seek with his 16-year-old brother. He started practicing making new sounds around the house. He started seeking out his dad more.<\/p>\n

We have tried every new treatment out there for over 10 years. Nothing has come close to all the changes in language and social interaction and new interests that we saw after suramin. We saw our son advance almost three years in development in just six weeks.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I can\u2019t even begin to imagine the joy these parents must have felt to see their children respond like this!<\/p>\n

Unfortunately the therapeutic benefits of suramin was temporary and the benefits gradually faded after several weeks as the effects of the drug wore off.<\/p>\n

Suramin is used for African sleeping sickness and river blindness, which are caused by parasites and does have some very serious side-effects when used at higher doses (in AIDS research in 1987<\/a>\u00a0sixteen patients died while receiving suramin or within three weeks of discontinuation of drug therapy).<\/p>\n

In this autism study the children received a single very low dose intravenous infusion which did cause a rash.<\/p>\n

The authors do acknowledge that suramin isn\u2019t the solution but rather a way to test the cell danger hypothesis as a \u201cpossible unifying theory\u201d that contributes to the cause of autism (and other chronic conditions that don\u2019t resolve).<\/p>\n

So what does the cell danger response actually mean? It\u2019s taken me a fair bit of reading to understand it so let me share this explanation from one of the earlier mouse studies<\/a>\u00a0done by lead researcher Robert K. Naviaux, MD, PhD:<\/p>\n

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When cells are exposed to danger in the form of a virus, infection, toxin, or even certain genetic mutations [or traumas], they react defensively, shutting down ordinary activities and erecting barriers against the [real or] perceived threat. One consequence is that communication between cells is reduced which \u2026may interfere with brain development and function, leading to autism [and other chronic conditions]\n<\/blockquote>\n

Even when the danger is no longer there – the infection or toxin or trauma has been removed, the diet has been changed, the nutritional imbalances have been addressed, the inflammation has been reduced etc. – the cells stay in danger mode and are not able to communicate and do what they need to do.<\/p>\n

By using suramin the cell danger response\/CDR signal is blocked or disabled or switched off so the cells no longer see the perceived danger, allowing cells to restore normal communication and function, and symptoms are reversed.<\/p>\n

A simple way to think of it is like this: like a bear, the cells are in hibernation because it\u2019s winter and when summer comes around they stay in hibernation because they still think there is the danger of winter or the lack of food. This is the cell danger response and the cells are stuck. The suramin tells the cells it really is summer, there is plenty of salmon and berries and it\u2019s safe to come out of hibernation.<\/p>\n

This approach is called antipurinergic therapy or APT and research shows it has applications for a number of conditions. These are disorders corrected or improved by antipurinergic therapy:<\/p>\n

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(table from Metabolic features of the cell danger response<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m excited about the amazing results in these children and about the promise of what this holds. But I do still have so many questions about this research and look forward to learning more and sharing more with you as I do:<\/p>\n