UMDF Statement on the Connection Between Mitochondrial Disease and Autism

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UMDF Statement on the Connection Between Mitochondrial Disease and Autism

PITTSBURGH, April 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The UnitedMitochondrial Disease Foundation released the following statement from itsexecutive director and CEO, Chuck Mohan, in light of the National VaccineAdvisory Committee's (NVAC) meeting of its Vaccine Safety Working Group andrecent published reports of possible links between mitochondrial disordersand autism. "Recent published reports about the potential links betweenmitochondrial disorders and autism demonstrate the urgent need for moreresearch into mitochondrial disease, a devastating and often fatal illness. "Mitochondrial dysfunction has also been implicated in Alzheimer'sDementia, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, heart disease anddiabetes. "Mitochondrial disease is not rare. Researchers estimate that every 15minutes a child is born with mitochondrial disease or will be diagnosedwith mitochondrial disease by the age of 10. Most affected children do notlive beyond their teenage years. "The National Institutes of Health currently spends about $11.8 millionon research into mitochondrial-related research -- with only about onethird of that earmarked for primary mitochondrial disease research. That isless than 1/1000 of one percent of NIH's $29B annual budget. That is whythe United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation supports the effort by theNational Institutes of Health to place mitochondrial disease research on anNIH roadmap. "Mitochondrial disease deprives the body of energy making it difficultto function properly. It can affect any organ of the body and at any age.The brain may be impaired, vision may be dim, muscles may twitch or may betoo weak to allow the body to walk or write, the heart may be weakened, andthe ability to eat and digest food can be compromised. "Finding the cause of and cure for mitochondrial disease would not onlyalleviate the suffering of families around the world, it would also unlockthe door to a world of scientific knowledge and could help lead the way topossible treatments for many other diseases." SOURCE United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation