PLT Test Blog

  Repurposing what already exists – cheap, safe, effective and sometimes colourful Today’s post is nice and simple. Yet another sub-type of autism is shown in a clinical trial to respond to the cheap drug bumetanide, this time it is children diagnosed with TSC ( tuberous sclerosis complex); TSC is a leading genetic cause of autism often used in research. In France researchers repurposed Folinoral, a lower dose equivalent of Dr Frye’s, and our reader Roger’s, Leucovorin to treat autism with a positive result.  Folinoral is Calcium Folinate, but the dose was just 5mg twice a day, much less than the dose used in the US research. The potential off-label uses for Verapamil, the old calcium channel blocker helpful in some autism, continue to grow. Original purpose:   Lower blood pressure by blocking L-type calcium channels Alternative uses: ·         Treating bipolar disorder ·         Treating cluster h...

In this example of Brain Injury, developing oligodendrocytes are injured and killed by substances released from activated microglia , including nitric oxide and superoxide, which form peroxynitrite. Peroxynitrite has been found to kill these cells through the activation of the 12-lipoxygenase pathway for metabolizing arachidonic acid. Mitochondria may be involved in this pathway as a source of reactive oxygen species. Much has been written in this blog about oxidative stress, which has now been extremely well researched in autism and more generally. Let’s recap oxidative stress. The most knowledgeable researcher in this area is Abha Chauhan.   Based on her research and that of others we now know a great deal.   Recall that the body’s key antioxidant is called glutathione (GSH) and when it neutralizes a free radical GSH is converted to its oxidized form, glutathione disulfide (GSSG).   A good measure of oxidative stress is the ratio of  GSH/GSSG. ·    ...