US Researchers Call Off Controversial Autism Study

[Guest guest]

In case you thought politics plays no role in research. The

government will not touch any research that may threaten the promotion

of vaccines. - Lenny

US Researchers Call Off Controversial Autism Study

By Carla k. . http://tinyurl.com/54hd37

Chicago (AP) — A government agency has dropped plans for a study

of a controversial treatment for autism that critics had called an

unethical experiment on children.

The National Institute of Mental Health said in a statement

Wednesday that the study of the treatment — called chelation — has

been abandoned. The agency decided the money would be better used

testing other potential therapies for autism and related disorders,

the statement said.

" There will be parents who are disappointed, " said

Nakamura, the scientific director of NIMH. " We recognize that for

children there is a fine line for the risk-benefit ratio. You have to

be pretty certain of the overall safety of the procedure. "

The agency wasn't confident enough in the procedure's safety,

Nakamura said.

The study had been on hold because of safety concerns after

another study published last year linked a drug used in the treatment

to lasting brain problems in rats.

Chelation (kee-LAY'-shun) removes heavy metals from the body and

is used to treat lead poisoning. Its use as an autism treatment is

based on the fringe theory that mercury in vaccines triggers autism —

a theory never proved and rejected by mainstream science. Mercury

hasn't been in childhood vaccines since 2001, except for certain flu

shots.

But many parents of autistic children are believers in the

treatment, and NIMH agreed to test it.

The researchers had proposed recruiting 120 autistic children

ages 4 to 10 and giving half a chelation drug and the other half a

dummy pill. The 12-week test would measure before-and-after blood

mercury levels and autism symptoms.

The study outline said that failing to find a difference between

the two groups would counteract " anecdotal reports and widespread

belief " that chelation works.

Autism is a spectrum of disorders that hamper a person's ability

to communicate and interact with others. Most doctors believe there is

no cure.

In canceling the study, the agency noted it would take another

year to review the study and three years to do it. In the meantime,

the agency said, it was likely that other research would " provide

deeper understanding of the causes of autism and more refined avenues

for developing treatments. "

Several scientists praised the decision, including the lead

author of the rat study, which found lingering problems in animals

that did not have elevated lead levels.

" I think they're making the right decision not to go forward

with the study, " said Barbara Strupp, a professor of psychology and

nutritional sciences at Cornell University.

" Our data raise concerns about administering (the chelation

compound) to children who do not have elevated levels of heavy

metals, " Strupp said.

Dr. Offit, chief of infectious diseases at the Children's

Hospital of Philadelphia, agreed with the decision to cancel.

" Suppose that a child suffers a severe side effect from

chelation, " said Offit, author of " Autism's False Prophets, " a new

book on autism research. " Without any evidence it's helpful, I think

it's unethical. "

The chelation drug proposed for the study, DMSA, can cause side

effects including rashes and low white blood cell count.

" This was a wise and careful decision, " said Ellen Silbergeld of

s Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health, who had

been invited to comment on the study during an earlier review, in an

e-mail.

[Guest guest]

I understand why they stopped it completely(threatening their vaccine policy) but i think the study, had it been done, would have been doomed to failure. There are too many other variables relating to each individual child in a short study like this and measuring only mercury blood levels hardly seems sufficient.

M

Subject: US Researchers Call Off Controversial Autism StudyTo: EOHarm Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 8:30 PM

In case you thought politics plays no role in research. Thegovernment will not touch any research that may threaten the promotionof vaccines. - LennyUS Researchers Call Off Controversial Autism Study By Carla k. . http://tinyurl. com/54hd37 Chicago (AP) — A government agency has dropped plans for a studyof a controversial treatment for autism that critics had called anunethical experiment on children.The National Institute of Mental Health said in a statementWednesday that the study of the treatment — called chelation — hasbeen abandoned. The agency decided the money would be better usedtesting other potential therapies for autism and related disorders,the statement said."There will be parents who are disappointed, " said Nakamura, the scientific director of NIMH. "We recognize that

forchildren there is a fine line for the risk-benefit ratio. You have tobe pretty certain of the overall safety of the procedure."The agency wasn't confident enough in the procedure's safety,Nakamura said.The study had been on hold because of safety concerns afteranother study published last year linked a drug used in the treatmentto lasting brain problems in rats.Chelation (kee-LAY'-shun) removes heavy metals from the body andis used to treat lead poisoning. Its use as an autism treatment isbased on the fringe theory that mercury in vaccines triggers autism —a theory never proved and rejected by mainstream science. Mercuryhasn't been in childhood vaccines since 2001, except for certain flushots.But many parents of autistic children are believers in thetreatment, and NIMH agreed to test it.The researchers had proposed recruiting 120 autistic childrenages 4 to 10 and giving half a

chelation drug and the other half adummy pill. The 12-week test would measure before-and-after bloodmercury levels and autism symptoms.The study outline said that failing to find a difference betweenthe two groups would counteract "anecdotal reports and widespreadbelief" that chelation works.Autism is a spectrum of disorders that hamper a person's abilityto communicate and interact with others. Most doctors believe there isno cure.In canceling the study, the agency noted it would take anotheryear to review the study and three years to do it. In the meantime,the agency said, it was likely that other research would "providedeeper understanding of the causes of autism and more refined avenuesfor developing treatments."Several scientists praised the decision, including the leadauthor of the rat study, which found lingering problems in animalsthat did not have elevated lead levels."I think

they're making the right decision not to go forwardwith the study," said Barbara Strupp, a professor of psychology andnutritional sciences at Cornell University."Our data raise concerns about administering (the chelationcompound) to children who do not have elevated levels of heavymetals," Strupp said.Dr. Offit, chief of infectious diseases at the Children'sHospital of Philadelphia, agreed with the decision to cancel."Suppose that a child suffers a severe side effect fromchelation," said Offit, author of "Autism's False Prophets," a newbook on autism research. "Without any evidence it's helpful, I thinkit's unethical."The chelation drug proposed for the study, DMSA, can cause sideeffects including rashes and low white blood cell count."This was a wise and careful decision," said Ellen Silbergeld ofs Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health, who hadbeen invited to

comment on the study during an earlier review, in ane-mail.

[Guest guest]

" The study had been on hold because of safety concerns after another

study published last year linked a drug used in the treatment

to lasting brain problems in rats. "

Some of the rats are not even at grade level for reading comprehension....

C'mon, who wanted an NIH or Autism Speaks-funded chelation study?

Such a study would have to be done independently, and, sadly, in

another country.

>

> In case you thought politics plays no role in research. The

> government will not touch any research that may threaten the promotion

> of vaccines. - Lenny

>

>

> US Researchers Call Off Controversial Autism Study

>

> By Carla k. . http://tinyurl.com/54hd37

>

> Chicago (AP) — A government agency has dropped plans for a study

> of a controversial treatment for autism that critics had called an

> unethical experiment on children.

> The National Institute of Mental Health said in a statement

> Wednesday that the study of the treatment — called chelation — has

> been abandoned. The agency decided the money would be better used

> testing other potential therapies for autism and related disorders,

> the statement said.

> " There will be parents who are disappointed, " said

> Nakamura, the scientific director of NIMH. " We recognize that for

> children there is a fine line for the risk-benefit ratio. You have to

> be pretty certain of the overall safety of the procedure. "

> The agency wasn't confident enough in the procedure's safety,

> Nakamura said.

> The study had been on hold because of safety concerns after

> another study published last year linked a drug used in the treatment

> to lasting brain problems in rats.

> Chelation (kee-LAY'-shun) removes heavy metals from the body and

> is used to treat lead poisoning. Its use as an autism treatment is

> based on the fringe theory that mercury in vaccines triggers autism —

> a theory never proved and rejected by mainstream science. Mercury

> hasn't been in childhood vaccines since 2001, except for certain flu

> shots.

> But many parents of autistic children are believers in the

> treatment, and NIMH agreed to test it.

> The researchers had proposed recruiting 120 autistic children

> ages 4 to 10 and giving half a chelation drug and the other half a

> dummy pill. The 12-week test would measure before-and-after blood

> mercury levels and autism symptoms.

> The study outline said that failing to find a difference between

> the two groups would counteract " anecdotal reports and widespread

> belief " that chelation works.

> Autism is a spectrum of disorders that hamper a person's ability

> to communicate and interact with others. Most doctors believe there is

> no cure.

> In canceling the study, the agency noted it would take another

> year to review the study and three years to do it. In the meantime,

> the agency said, it was likely that other research would " provide

> deeper understanding of the causes of autism and more refined avenues

> for developing treatments. "

> Several scientists praised the decision, including the lead

> author of the rat study, which found lingering problems in animals

> that did not have elevated lead levels.

> " I think they're making the right decision not to go forward

> with the study, " said Barbara Strupp, a professor of psychology and

> nutritional sciences at Cornell University.

> " Our data raise concerns about administering (the chelation

> compound) to children who do not have elevated levels of heavy

> metals, " Strupp said.

> Dr. Offit, chief of infectious diseases at the Children's

> Hospital of Philadelphia, agreed with the decision to cancel.

> " Suppose that a child suffers a severe side effect from

> chelation, " said Offit, author of " Autism's False Prophets, " a new

> book on autism research. " Without any evidence it's helpful, I think

> it's unethical. "

> The chelation drug proposed for the study, DMSA, can cause side

> effects including rashes and low white blood cell count.

> " This was a wise and careful decision, " said Ellen Silbergeld of

> s Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health, who had

> been invited to comment on the study during an earlier review, in an

> e-mail.

>

[Guest guest]

> C'mon, who wanted an NIH or Autism Speaks-funded chelation study?

> Such a study would have to be done independently, and, sadly, in

> another country.

I agree . But this study still needs to happen, and soon. I

don't know why some agency hasn't done this already. I wish they'd

get the lead out.

Lenny

[Guest guest]

It would take me just a few minutes to find hundreds of child studies

on Risperdal, etc. Clearly the concern is not safety. This makes me

sick. Dr. Deth and DK mentioned that, for the rat study, there was no

mineral replacement performed along with chelation, so it's not a

surprise that there were adverse outcomes for the " non-metal-toxic "

rats.

>

> In case you thought politics plays no role in research. The

> government will not touch any research that may threaten the

promotion

> of vaccines. - Lenny

>

>

> US Researchers Call Off Controversial Autism Study

>

> By Carla k. . http://tinyurl.com/54hd37

>

> Chicago (AP) — A government agency has dropped plans for a

study

> of a controversial treatment for autism that critics had called an

> unethical experiment on children.

> The National Institute of Mental Health said in a statement

> Wednesday that the study of the treatment — called chelation — has

> been abandoned. The agency decided the money would be better used

> testing other potential therapies for autism and related disorders,

> the statement said.

> " There will be parents who are disappointed, " said

> Nakamura, the scientific director of NIMH. " We recognize that for

> children there is a fine line for the risk-benefit ratio. You have

to

> be pretty certain of the overall safety of the procedure. "

> The agency wasn't confident enough in the procedure's safety,

>