PLT Test Blog

  There is already quite a lot in this blog about using a PDE ( Phosphodiesterase) inhibitor to potentially treat autism. Readers might have seen the recent article below, in which a PDE-4D inhibitor raised cognition in adults with Fragile-X. Drug boosts cognition in men with fragile X syndrome   The study drug, BPN14770, is developed by Tetra Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It blocks the activity of phosphodiesterase-4D, an enzyme in the brain that degrades cyclic AMP. In a mouse model of fragile X,  BPN14770 increased cyclic AMP  and eased several fragile-X-related traits.   For the new work, 30 men with fragile X participated in a 24-week double-blind crossover study of the drug. The researchers randomly assigned each man to one of two treatment sequences: 12 weeks on the drug followed by 12 weeks on a placebo, or 12 weeks of placebo crossing over to 12 weeks on the drug. Researchers assessed all of the par...

  They also had Pentoxifylline for autism back in the 1970s – time for a revival?   Pentoxifylline and other more modern PDE inhibitors have been mentioned many times in this blog. https://epiphanyasd.blogspot.com/search/label/PDE4 https://epiphanyasd.blogspot.com/search/label/Pentoxifylline Pentoxifylline has been used in autism clinical trials dating back almost 50 years. A casual observer would naturally assume it cannot possibly be effective, or else surely its use would have caught on by now. Some readers have long been using a PDE inhibitor as part of their child’s autism polytherapy. People have been asking me to let them know my thoughts on Pentoxifylline, the most accessible PDE inhibitor. I think the key is that we are talking about an add-on, or adjunct, therapy.   We are no longer talking about pentoxifylline therapy vs no therapy, as they were in the 1970s.   Even in those decades-old studies there was a sub group of “super responders”.   Either...

    A few ideas remain to be fine-tuned Having started to develop my son’s polytherapy for autism back in December 2012, is there anything left to develop in 2021? As we have seen, the biggest impact from interventions is when you start them very young, but improvement is possible at any age. I was asked at the recent Synchrony autism conference what is next for the PolyPill?   and I replied that more spontaneous expressive language is my main target.   I have a good idea of what may help. ·         Calcium folinate, increased over 6 weeks to 45mg/day ·         Sulforaphane, with added Myrosinase in the form of Wasabi I was contacted by a researcher from that Synchrony conference, suggesting that Low Level LED Therapy (LLLT) was worth trying to improve the use of speech.   It does seem to benefit people with many types of brain injury.   I did write a post on LLLT using lasers,...