Is Autism due to maternal autoimmunity?

I was reading an interesting article at The Scientist today. Autism may have been induced in monkeys by exposing them to certain antibodies in utero.

The idea was that certain autoimmune diseases may produce antibodies in the mother that, rather than protecting the fetus, attack the growing fetal brain. Pregnant rhesus monkeys injected with the antibodies found in ASD mothers (mothers of autistic children) had normal pregnancies and normal babies. But shortly after weaning they exhibited notable social and cognitive changes. Whether this is the rhesus version of autism needs to be confirmed.

But is it possible that Judy Van der Water at the University of California, Davis happened upon the basis for the spectrum disorders? I think it is.

Medical research is essential

PZ Myers has written a great entry on the need for medical advancement and research at Pharyngula. Though he concentrates on cancer research, he also highlights the overall lack of science funding and the need for medical research in general.

It's been drying up. Researchers are spending more time struggling to get basic funding and less time doing the work that saves lives, and more often than not, they aren't getting funded. Often, too, the researchers who are getting screwed are the new researchers, the ones who don't have established labs right now, which means we are short-sightedly demolishing our future research infrastructure.

I have to wholeheartedly agree with him. And it's one of the political movements I have no qualms writing about and pushing. Science needs to be at the forefront of funding and public dissemination.

It is my goal that at some point in the future, Maeflowers will be incorporated as a nonprofit, offering money to research that will advance mankind and our health. I'm far from that step, but knowledge is power. Stop by PZ's blog and read what he has to say. It'll be worth it.

Salmonella tomatoes

Amidst recent reports of illness due to salmonella on raw tomatoes, the CDC has compiled a list of retailers whose tomatoes have been deemed safe. One the vine, cherry, and grape tomatoes are also in that category.

Add Bangladesh to the list

The 15th country to have a human case of bird flu, which is caused by an Avian H5N1 strain of influenza, is Bangladesh. A 16-month old boy has recovered after becoming ill in January, but the CDC only confirmed his infection with that strain last week. The first poultry outbreaks occurred in that country in February 2007.

A new HIV vaccine trial?

Despite the disappointing ending to Merck's recent HIV vaccine trial, the Partnership for AIDS Vaccine Evaluation (PAVE) is set to start a trial on the next potential vaccine - the PAVE 100 HIV vaccine trial.

The strain is a similar recombinant strain as used in the Merck vaccine, but the criteria for participants is slightly altered, which may aid in determining the effectiveness of the vaccine, but in my opinion, reduce it's generalizability. We'll see.

The AIDS Vaccine Research subcommittee voted 23-3 in favor of beginning the study. The groups responsible for the research are still reviewing the committee's recommendation to determine if they will proceed.

Salmonella vaccine research in space

With the launching of the space shuttle on May 31, vaccine research may get a boost. Salmonella has been shown to have increased virulence in space, but it loses virulence during research here on Earth. This has been an obstacle for developing a vaccine against the bacterium. Now, researchers at the International Space Station may be able to produce a vaccine strain in space for use in human vaccines on Earth. They're starting by testing several strains, which were onboard Discovery on Saturday.

Now if they can only make space travel simpler, and re-entry safer, this may have promise.

Salmonella vaccine lift-off at The Scientist