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| Quillen researchers pursuing treatments for autism through study of brain pathology |
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| Start Date: | 4/26/2011 | |
| End Date: | 4/26/2011 | |
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Event Description
Two scientists at East Tennessee State University’s James H. Quillen College of Medicine have received a research grant for an innovative study of autism that could someday lead to new treatments for this neurological disorder that affects 1 in 110 children.
Dr. Greg Ordway, professor and chair of the ETSU Department of Pharmacology, and Dr. Michelle Chandley, a postdoctoral fellow in pharmacology, received the grant from Autism Speaks, an advocacy group that promotes awareness and education of the disorder as well as funding for biomedical research. April is recognized by the Autism Society as National Autism Awareness Month.
Ordway said that through studies of brain pathology in young adults with autism, he and Chandley will examine specific molecular and cellular pathways that may play a role in autism’s pathophysiology. Autism, which is characterized by limitations in social and communication skills, is linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain, but the cause of those abnormalities is not well understood.
“There have actually been few studies done on the pathology of the disorder – almost all of the research has been related to genetics,” Ordway said. “What we know is that genetics can be a predictor of autism, but it doesn’t always lead to autism. Conversely, I don’t think you can have the pathology and not get the disease. Genetic factors are important, but it’s more than just genetics.”
Ordway and Chandley will focus specifically on neurochemical pathways in an anterior part of the brain that regulates social interactions. Ordway, who is principal investigator, said the grant came to fruition only through the persistence of Chandley, who is co-investigator.
“I would never have pursued this if she hadn’t kept insisting,” Ordway said. “She played the primary role in the development of the grant application, and her determination made this happen.”
Ordway points out that he had no previous experience researching autism, but Chandley pushed the project because he does have an international reputation for his studies of brain tissue and the relation to illnesses that lead to depressive disorders or suicide.
“I kept thinking that we have this incredible lab renowned for studying brain pathology and how it relates to depressive disorders, so why can’t we apply that to a study of autism?” Chandley said. “So much of the research in the field of autism is focused on genetics, and there is value in that. But there are other examples of neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, where treatments were identified through studies on the pathology of the brain. There is not one drug approved by the FDA for treating autism, with the possible exception of a drug that is approved for treating irritability in autism.”
Autism Speaks is providing $120,000 in grant funding for the two-year project. Ordway considers the pilot study promising enough that it could lead to additional grant funding.
“We’re grateful to Autism Speaks for recognizing the potential value of the research,” Ordway said. “It’s conceivable that through studies of brain pathology, we could identify new treatments that would allow us to intervene early and change the course of the disorder.” |
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Remarks:
Two scientists at East Tennessee State University’s James H. Quillen College of Medicine have received a research grant for an innovative study of autism that could someday lead to new treatments for this neurological disorder that affects 1 in 110 children. |
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