OP-ED- Steve Gordo
A New Hope?
Risking further controversy, I am sharing this news about a new treatment drug for the social interactions that may be inhibited by autism. "Balovaptan," please do not ask me to pronounce it, BALL-O-VAP-TAN (?), by the Swiss company, Roche, if I understand right, blocks vasopressin in the system. Please allow me to summarize an online article from Spectrum News. Here is an excerpt from the article linked below:
"Balovaptan blocks a receptor in the brain for the hormone vasopressin, a cousin to oxytocin, which is thought to strengthen social bonds. Vasopressin also influences social bonding."
So, this is where is gets confusing, vasopressin being suppressed is a good thing, even though vasopressin, itself, is a good thing for social interaction, because it allows the body's own oxytocin, which also promotes social interaction, to promote social interaction that the vasopressin may block. Confused? Well, you're not alone.
Because they use subjective measures that many of us in the autism community may recognize as diagnostic, such as The Social Responsiveness Scale 2 (SRS), and/or long-range (6 months or more), such as the Vineland, there is mixed confidence in the drug's effectiveness. The catch is the studies used to greenlight this drug were only twelve week trials, since the FDA, which, I am guessing, is desperate to do "something" for the "autism epidemic," put this drug and it's trials on the "fast-track." This "fast-track," panic-stricken, "do-something," urgency might be reason enough to bide some time and patiently await more data about the medication.
Overall, the news is good, my college friend, who works for Genentech, has been routinely updating me on genetic studies of autism over the past few years. I believe this drug comes from the identification of the genes associated with autism. In short, some great science is happening and there is promise of meaningful treatments, not just managing the effects, but stemming the factors that cause unwanted autism behaviors, in the future.
So, finding this "good news," triggers the great debate in the autism community. "I love you, I celebrate some of the unique things that autism enables you to do, but I so want to "cure" you of autism," is the confusing, double message people can take away from such. The "autism acceptance" community wants no cure, while the spectrum of opinion slides all the way to those who want to wholly "cure autism, now."
Here is my olive branch to both. This is NOT a cure. It can help families, therapists, and people on the spectrum overcome unwanted behaviors, but I am guessing this is not gene therapy per se and the physiology of one's autism will remain. A "friend" of mine has a son who becomes so, so angry and frustrated and he would like it if his son's frustrations did not cause him to pose a danger to himself or others. Such a treatment gives cause for hope, even as I may bide my time, okay, who am I kidding, I will ask our doctor by the next monthly visit, if not today.
So, let's start a new episode in the saga of autism:
"Autism: A New Hope."
*Cue Star Wars theme
*Scroll story recap
Permission to share granted for non-commercial purposes.
Copyright: Steve Gordo 2018- All Rights Reserved.
https://www.spectrumnews.org/…/optimism-confusion-greet-fe…/
#autismnocrime @PAGO-TOO #ARaftOfWanderingOtters #Balovaptan #autism #JusticeofPaul