Autism could be treated by a drug that has been around for more than 100 years, new research suggests.
The drug, known as suramin, which was originally developed to treat sleeping sickness, produced dramatic results in young sufferers after just one dose.
These included improvements to their language and social behavior, as well as their coping skills.
Study author Professor Robert Naviaux, from the University of California in San Diego, said: ‘We had four non-verbal children in the study, two 6-year-olds and two 14-year-olds. 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.’
Around one in 68 children in the US and up to one in 100 in the UK are on the autistic spectrum.
A drug that is more than 100 years old improved autism symptoms in young sufferers
SUICIDE RATES AMONG AUTISM SUFFERERS ARE ‘WORRYINGLY’ HIGH
Suicide rates among people with autism in England have reached ‘worryingly’ high levels, according to experts.
Researchers believe the condition is poorly understood and action is urgently required to help at-risk patients.
A study previously revealed 66 per cent of adults newly diagnosed with a form of autism have contemplated ending their life.
In the same study, 35 per cent of the 365 participants said they had planned or attempted to end their own life.
Some 31 per cent also reported suffering depression.
Study author Dr Cassidy from the University of Coventry, said: ‘What relatively little we know about suicidality in autism points to a worryingly high prevalence of people with the condition contemplating and attempting to take their own life.
‘More concerning still, the small body of research that does exist exposes serious shortcomings in how prepared we are to intervene and provide effective support to those with autism who are most at risk of dying by suicide.’
Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, administered a single dose of suramin to five male autistic children, while another five were given a placebo.
Suramin was developed by German scientists in 1916 to treat sleeping sickness and river blindness, both of which are caused by parasites.
Results, published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, revealed that all of the patients given suramin displayed improvements in their language and social behavior, restricted or repetitive behaviors and coping skills.
Improvement was assessed according to examinations and interviews using standardized tests and questionnaires.
The researchers found ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd edition) scores improved by -1.6 points in the suramin group, with lowers score indicating lesser symptoms.
Changed behaviors included social communication and play, speech and language, calm and focus, repetitive behaviors, and coping skills.
The only side effect was a temporary skin rash.
A parent of a 14-year-old study participant who was given suramin and had not previously spoken a complete sentence in 12 years said: ‘We saw improvements in our son after suramin that we have never seen before.
‘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.
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Suramin (pictured in its 1916 form) ‘silences’ autistic sufferers’ ‘internal siren’ allowing their bodies to focus on development, growth and healing, according to a study author
They said: ‘He started practicing making new sounds around the house. He started seeking out his dad more.
‘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.’
Study author Professor Robert Naviaux added: ‘We had four non-verbal children in the study, two 6-year-olds and two 14-year-olds.
‘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.
‘This did not happen in any of the children given the placebo.
‘During the time the children were on suramin, benefit from all their usual therapies and enrichment programs increased dramatically.
He said: ‘Once suramin removed the roadblocks to development, the benefit from speech therapy, occupational therapy, applied behavioral analysis and even from playing games with other children during recess at school skyrocketed.
‘Suramin was synergistic with their other therapies.’
PEOPLE WITH ‘SMART GENES’ ARE MOST AT RISK OF AUTISM
Researchers have found a surprising connection between intelligence and autism.
Earlier this month, scientists from the Centre for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research in Amsterdam, announced the discovery of 40 new genes linked to human intelligence, and found that many people with the genes were also on the autistic spectrum.
Most of the newly discovered gene variants linked to elevated IQ play a role in regulating cell development in the brain.
The findings could one day help shed light on the condition’s origins.
Professor Naviaux believes autism is caused by impaired communication between cells in the brain, gut and immune system.
Specifically, this results from the abnormal persistence of the cell danger response (CDR) – a natural reaction to injury or stress.
Professor Naviaux said: ‘The purpose of CDR is to help protect the cell and jump-start the healing process.
‘But sometimes CDR gets stuck. This prevents completion of the natural healing cycle and can permanently alter the way the cell responds to the world.
‘When this happens, cells behave as if they are still injured or in imminent danger, even though the original cause of the injury or threat has passed.
‘When this happens during early child development, it causes autism and many other chronic childhood disorders.’
When CDR is activated, the effect is similar to a warning siren that never stops, he said.
Suramin silences the siren, ‘signalling the cellular war is over, the danger has passed and cells can return to “peacetime” jobs like normal neurodevelopment, growth and healing,’ Professor Naviaux explained.
Yet the study revealed the drug’s benefit was only temporary as improvements peaked and then gradually faded after several weeks.
Larger and longer trials including multiple suramin doses are required to allow researchers to determine whether improvements continue or if unexpected side effects appear, the scientists said.