A non -verbal autistic child said that his first words after using a cheap medicine that is normally given to cancer patients.
Mason Connor from Arizona was diagnosed with autism in two and a half years old after his mother noticed that he had not started talking.
After years of failed therapies and treatments, Mason's parents met a doctor who investigated experimental new autism therapies.
Dr. Richard Frye, a pediatric neurologist at Rossignol Medical Center in Arizona, suggested that the Leucovorin family tried, a generic medicine derived from folic acid.
Three days after starting the $ 2.50 tablets, Mason said his first words in three years old.
Folic acid – also known as vitamin B9 – is required for DNA synthesis and repairs. The naturally occurring shape, folic acid, is found in leafy vegetables, peas, lentils, beans, eggs, yeast and liver.
Leucovorin is usually given to cancer patients to protect their red blood cells against chemotherapy.
But research suggests that some children with autism do not get enough of folic acid offering on their brains because of a blockade, which can cause communication problems.
Mason Connor (depicted here) was diagnosed with autism in two and a half years after he did not start talking
It is thought that Leucovorin can bypass that blockade.
Dr. Frye told CBS News: '[Leucovorin] Could really have a substantial impact on a very good percentage of children with autism. '
According to the latest CDC data, one in 36 children in the US has autism, or slightly less than 2 million.
In general, most with the condition are diagnosed in five years, although some can be tested as young as age two.
According to the National Institutes of Health, about seven out of 10 autistic children have folic acid receptor Auto antibodies, a kind of antibody that focuses on healthy parts of the body.
Folate receptor Auto antibodies prevents folic acid from reaching the brain, which can cause language delays.
In one of the studies of Dr. Frye had 44 autistic children with these car antibodies for four months 50 milligrams of leucovorine per day.
All patients had improvements in their language, behavior, hyperactivity, mood, attention and aggression.
Another study from 2018 by Dr.'s team Frye discovered that children with autism and language delays treated with Leucovorin all experienced 'significant' improvements in language, as well as irritability, hyperactivity and lethargy.
Mason, depicted here as a toddler, began to speak at the age of three. Now five years old, his family is planning to register him in the regular kindergarten following autumn
Leucovorin, which costs around $ 30 for 12 pills, is usually given to cancer patients to protect their red blood cells against chemotherapy. However, research suggests that chemical blockages can erase in the brains of autistic children, improving their language skills
Leucovorin comes in tablets, injections and infusions.
Dr. Frye said: “We did the science, and the next step is that we want more financing, so that we can actually approve it through the FDA.”
Earlier research has shown that some children with autism have antibodies in their blood that prevent folic acid (vitamin B9) from entering the brain, causing a deficiency.
Leucovorin is a reduced folic acid that can bypass those antibodies, allowing it to reach the brain.
Leucovorin is only approved FDA for patients with chemotherapy and patients with some forms of anemia, although doctors can prescribe the off-label for autism.
However, it is still unclear how many doctors do this.
Dr. Frye fears that the cheap costs of the drug means that there is no impulse to invest in studying it.
Earlier studies have shown that pregnant women who take folic acid can reduce the risk of autism of their child by 40 percent.
Now five years old, Mason is still on Leucovorin. Once non -verbal, his parents now expect to register this fall in traditional kindergarten.
