In her Huffington Post article, “What I Wish I’d Been Made Aware of When My Daughter Was Diagnosed With Autism” and her journalistic writings shared in Emma’s Hope Book, Zurcher accentuates the “ausome” qualities of autism. She demands that autism not be seen as a disease, but a people, like any other, with there own strengths and strangeness. She encourages skepticism of experts who claim knowledge of causes or treatment. Throughout Zurcher’s writings, she maintains a motto of confidence: confidence in your child’s competency, confidence in non-verbal communication (whether guided or intuitive), and confidence in your ability as caregiver.

The International Center for Autism Research & Education feels blessed to have Ariana Zurcher among our advisory committee, providing her scrupulously honest opinions.

To read the inspiring, reflective contributions of a community of caregivers, advocates, and autistics themselves or to share something ausome—visit Autism Positivity today.

To read the Forbes article, visit: http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2013/04/09/3-ways-technology-can-make-a-dent-in-autism-research/

Ted Harada, a patient at Emory University, received a second round of stem cell treatment for the condition he has called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.  After he received the initial treatment, surgeons saw a dramatic improvement.  Harada’s surprising improvement could create an outpouring of new investment capital from major pharmaceutical companies.  Although there are many stem cell treatments that are still in the trial phase, it goes without saying how much potential stem cell therapy has.  Through analysis of the numerous disorders and diseases that stem cell therapies can treat, it can be said that there is at least a $500 billion market for products that display accuracy  and are able to obtain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

Dr. Benjamin Gesundheit M.D. PhD , a pediatric hematologist oncologist with experience in bone marrow transplantation and experimental cell therapy, spoke about his research on mesenchymal stem cells and autism at the ICare4Autism International Autism Conference in Jerusalem.  His topic, entitled “Mesenchymal Stromal Stem Cells for Autism Spectrum Disorder- The Therapeutic Rationale and its Future Potential,” highlights this new innovation in autism therapy research, and  provided insight for industry professionals.  Dr. Gesundheit discussed how autoimmune mechanisms with chronic neuroinflammation have been connected to the causes of autism spectrum disorder, offering mesenchymal stem cells as a way to open up new therapies for children with autism.  Dr. Gesundheit aims to introduce these stem cells more into future clinical studies, claiming that the regenerative, immunomodulary, and anti-inflammatory qualities of the cells will provide innovative alternatives for treatment.

Cardiovascular disease and stroke also  seem to be a potential market for stem cell therapy. According to the U.S. Center of Disease Control (CDC), cardiovascular disease and stroke cost up to $444 billion for Americans  in 2010 alone, amounting to nearly 20 percent of all health costs.  Several stem cell products aim to treat the neurological injuries commonly caused by strokes. More than 15 million people are estimated to suffer from strokes worldwide each year, according the World Health Organization (WHO), with one-third of the victims becoming disabled permanently.

Athersys, Inc  is one stem cell company attempting to enter this market. There is little competition because the only FDA-approved drug for ischemic strokes is an anti-clotting drug called tPA.  However, the window for using this drug is very small as it can only be administered within three to four hours of having a stroke, without too many serious complications.  The product being developed by Athersys, called MultiStem, does not have this limitation and its application allowing benefits up to one week after a stroke. Researchers at the University of Texas and the University of Minnesota have both touted the ascertainable benefits of the stem-cell based treatment.  Multistem is currently undergoing Phase 2 clinical trials to ensure the safety of administering the product through intravenous. Athersys is also explroing whether MultiStem could be utilized to treat many other conditions such as cardiovascular disease, vascular disease, congestive heart failures, obesity, and repair the damage caused by heart attacks.

Athersys has teamed up with Pfizer to develop and advertize an alternative of MultiStem to treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Prior to becoming a founding partner in Autism Therapeutics, Professor Snape was the founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Neuropharm Group PLC, a UK based autism focused drug development company, and was part of the team that took Neuropharm through an IPO less than twelve months after the first private financing. Professor Snape was an Associate Director and Head of Pharmacology for Vernalis PLC, a UK based CNS focused drug development company. He was also a principal scientist at Cerebrus Ltd, the first UK based CNS focused biotech company, where he was responsible for the neurodegeneration drug discovery group and the project initiator of CEB 1050 for autism. Prof. Snape began his career as a senior scientist at Astra Neuroscience Research Unit.

Dr. Snape has been involved in clinical studies in autism since 1997, and has been responsible for conceiving and executing multiple clinical studies in autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders.

Sitting on the scientific board of FRAXA a Research Foundation created by a small group of parents, Dr. Snape helps them accelerate progress for finding a cure for Fragile X. Dr. Snape began working with FRAXA in 2006, after discovering FRAXA’s studies on the internet and concluding, on the basis of those studies, that developing a Fragile X treatment would fit well into Neuropharm’s programs. The result is the recently completed trial of fenobam in adults with Fragile X.

Dr. Snape’s Autism Therapeutics Ltd. Program primarily focuses on progressing disease modifying therapies for the two rare and severe genetically-linked causes of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD); Rett Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome. He recognizes that there is no cure, but that medical treatments for symptoms of ASD can be very transformational in the symptoms and thus the lives of patients.

Medical treatments for symptoms of ASDs comprise a variety of pharmacologic agents that are generally intended to treat common comorbidities of ASDs. There remains an unmet medical need for an effective pharmacotherapy to treat the core symptoms of this serious disorder given that there are no approved marketed drugs for this indication. Only two medications have received FDA approval to treat irritability (an associated, not “core”, symptom of autism) in children with autism. Dr. Snape will speak more on the medical treatments in August.

The articles and research are mounting with regards to Oxytocin’s possible role in assisting people with autism. Dr. Eric Hollander, Director of the Autism and Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Program at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center and Chairman of the ICare4Autism Advisory Council will speak at the ICare4Autism International Autism Conference in August and has been at the forefront of this research since his first publication on the administration of oxytocin to patients with autism in 2003. Oxytocin has a long established role in milk ejection and uterine contraction during labor.  Recent research suggests that oxytocin and the closely related peptide vasopressin play an important role in the development of trust, empathy, social bonding, social affiliation, social threat, perseverative behaviors and overall social behavior and the salience or importance of social signals.

Early observations stem from work in voles, those little furry creatures (they are mouselike rodents related to lemmings). The researchers found two types of voles. Those that were asocial and those that were very social with strong affiliation bonds. The social voles had more oxytocin and vasopressin receptors in their brains than the a social voles. The original studies done by Hollander’s team on the effects of oxytocin infusion in adults with autism showed that oxytocin reduced perseverative behaviors (Neuropsychopharmacology, 2003), improved the retention of social cognition memories (Biological Psychiatry, 2007).  His team’s recent work with intranasal oxytocin has demonstrated effects on social cognition (i.e. recognizing emotions, enhancing empathy; decreasing social stress) and on repetitive behaviors in patients with autism, borderline personality disorder, and healthy adults with social deficits. Work also examines the effect of oxytocin on brain circuitry and gene expression.  Oxytocin stimulates receptors in the regions of the brains that involve social memory and social affiliation, like the amygdala and the thalamus. Further tests on mice and humans using oxytocin and vasopressin show that gene variations may affect response of these hormones on social memory and social cognition.

To quote Dr. Hollander in 2010, “The studies were in both healthy adults and adults with autism. We gave oxytocin via a nasal delivery and by intravenous route. It improved strong trust bonds. It improved emotions that could be read in the eyes. In a study of young adults (above 18 years of age) on the spectrum, Oxytocin therapy lessened the stimming and reduced repetitive behavior. Delivered intravenously and intranasally, it improved social cognition, and improvements were preserved for a two-week period on a single dose.”  This work with oxytocin has been replicated by researchers in Australia (Adam Guastella, Biological Psychiatry 2010) in children with autism where it improved the recognition of emotions and in France (Andari et al, PNAS, 2010) in adults with autism where it improved eye gaze and the choice of appropriate social interaction partners.

International Autism Experts to Gather in Jerusalem: Experts are planning to convene in Jerusalem from around the world in August to learn the latest about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Experts are planning to convene in Jerusalem from around the world this August on the issue of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Thousands of researchers, educators and policy experts will join families affected by the condition at Icare4Autism’s 2012 International Autism Conference, set for August 1-2.

The gathering is aimed at sharing current research into the causes and treatment of ASD, a group of conditions that include Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Hebrew University, the Weitzmann Institute, Tel Aviv University, Haifa University and Bar Ilan University are all partnering with the organization to sponsor the Jerusalem conference.

The conference will focus primarily on the latest developments in biomedical research and practice, education and behavioral research and practice, and ASD policy and awareness.

There will be a special exhibition of innovative assistive technologies for those with autism at the conference, as well as professional workshops led by lecturers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

“We have entered a new era of autism research and advocacy,” said Dr. Joshua Weinstein, CEO and founder of Icare4Autism. “On one hand, we have seen an unprecedented uptick in autism, while at the same time there have been incredible advances made in research and early diagnosis, and more effective intervention.

“It’s a critical period in which the world is beginning to understand – and treat – autism in a more urgent, effective way.”

The conference will be held under the auspices of Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, and headlined by Dame Stephanie Shirley, the first UK Ambassador for Philanthropy, who also heads the Shirley Foundation.

The Abrahams lab works to understand the “whys” and “hows” in the Autism Spectrum Disorders and to use these insights to achieve better patient outcomes. Dr. Abrahams has identified DNA variants that increase risk for disease and discovered how some of these impact brain structure and function. Ongoing work is poised to take these insights back to the clinic and improve quality of life for patients and families.

All of the work that they accomplish begins and ends in the clinic. The Abrahams team is always actively recruiting patients (and family members) to participate in genetic studies. If you are interested in being part of their study, you can contact them directly for more information.

Widely sought by instititutions nationwide, he chose to come to Einstein and now he is choosing to speak at ICare4Autism’s upcoming August Conference Autism: A Global Perspective. This is the second time that we have invited Dr. Abrahams to speak after the rave reviews of his last speaking engagement at our Jun 6^th conference in 2011.

Dr. Abrahams speaks from a history of personal patient interaction and detailed experiments with a protein called Cntnap2. He writes that, “convergent lines of evidence support involvement of Contactin Associated Protein-Like 2 (CNTNAP2), a Neurexin family member, in the ASDs and related disorders of cognition.” The Abrahams lab explores the biological mechanisms by which mutations in CNTNAP2 may cause disease. They characterized animals in which the murine homolog is deleted.

Cntnap2 KO mice were found to have behavioral abnormalities reminiscent of core deficits observed in patients. Mutant mice were also seen to be hyperactive and show spontaneous epileptic seizures, both primary reactions in autistic patients. Treatment with the FDA approved drug risperidone alleviated a subset of behaviors in mutant mice. Dr. Abrahams will discuss further possible treatments and elaborate on the numerous successes that his team has encountered at Einstein.

It was a gathering place for leading international autism researchers to work in collaboration, and converse about the latest autism education, research, treatments and best practices.

Front Row: John Foxe, Ph.D., Research Director of the Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC), Joshua Weinstein, Ph.D., M.B.A., ICare4Autism Founder & CEO, Eric Hollander, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Director of OCD and Autism Spectrum Program, Montefiore Medical Center and Einstein and Chairman of the Advisory Committee for ICare4Autism, Shlomo Shinnar, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Management Center at Montefiore Medical Center and Einstein, Dominick P. Purpura, M.D., Dean Emeritus, Professor of Neuroscience, Einstein, Robert W. Marion, M.D., Director of the Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC) Top Row: Brett S. Abrahams, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Genetics & Neuroscience at Einstein, Arthur L. Beaudet, M.D., Henry and Emma Meyer Professor and Chair Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston

Joshua Weinstein, Ph.D., M.B.A., ICare4Autism Founder & CEO, Eric Hollander, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Director of OCD and Autism Spectrum Program, Montefiore Medical Center and Einstein and Chairman of the Advisory Committee for ICare4Autism, Rebecca J. Landa, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Founding Director of Kennedy Krieger's Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Mark Lever, Chief Executive, The National Autistic Society (NAS), UK, Hugh Morgan, MMedSc OBE FRSA, CEO Autism Wales & Expert Advisor for ASD to the Welsh Assembly Government

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Rosalind Davis, J. Morton Davis Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Dr. Joshua Weinstein, Founder of ICare4Autism, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and former Rep. Lester Wolff (D-N.Y.)

The International Center for Autism Research and Education, Inc. (icare4autism) founded by Joshua Weinstein, Ph.D., M.B.A. paid tribute to J. Morton Davis, chairman and owner of D.H. Blair Investment Banking Corp. and board member of The Hill’s parent company, News Communications, today with a luncheon in his honor. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) joined by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.); Reps. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) presented Davis with the lifetime achievement award recognizing his authentic American ingenuity and humanitarian contributions. The luncheon organized by the Friedlander Group and held right off the floor of the Senate chamber in the LBJ Room (used by then Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson) echoed the theme of uniting forces to find the cure for autism which is the mission of icare4autism by bringing together collaborative efforts in the realm of research and funding. The luncheon was chaired by David Lobl, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, The Friedlander Group, who also acknowledged the presence of Phil Goldfeder of Sen. Charles Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) office; Caitlin Dorman from Rep. Nan Hayworth’s(R-N.Y.) office, Rabbi Levi Shemtov, of the American Friends of Lubavitch, Dr. Tevi Troy visiting Sr. Fellow at the Hudson Institute and is the former Deputy Secretary of HHS, Lumumba Di-Aping representing the Permanent Mission of Sudan to the United Nations and Adrian Prenkaj, Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo. (Photographs by Greg Nash)

Home to Future ICARE Campus, in Jerusalem

The International Center for Autism Research and Education (ICare4Autism), a New York City- based non-profit organization, announced plans to create the world’s first Global Autism Center on Mt. Scopus in Jerusalem, Israel.

In a ceremony at Jerusalem’s City Hall hosted by Mayor Nir Barkat, ICare4Autism’s Founder and President Joshua Weinstein, Ph.D., M.B.A. signed an agreement paving the way for ICare4Autism to acquire the 5-acre campus of  Bezalel Academy of Art and Design when the Academy relocates to downtown Jerusalem in 2013.

The Global Autism Center’s mission will be to catalyze breakthrough innovation in autism research and treatment by driving powerful multidisciplinary collaborations among the world’s leading investigators, educators and clinicians. When complete and ready to open in 2014, the 300,000 square foot Center will include the following unique elements:

(1) A state of the art research facility to serve as a global platform for investigative collaboration between medical, academic and educational institutions, and synthesize autism-related information worldwide. (2) The world’s first university-level school of professional autism studies, raising the standards of therapeutic practice worldwide by providing specialized advanced education to physicians, educators and therapists. (3) An educational center applying the latest research, cutting-edge technology and innovative design to the special needs of students between 18 months and 21 years of age with Asperger Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder and PDD. (4) A foundation which will provide grants and subsidies to develop a global network of affiliate organizations, and support their collaborative efforts to transform autism education and treatment worldwide.

Dr. Joshua Weinstein (left), speaking at a meeting with Mayor Nir Barkat (right) and his team

Dr. Joshua Weinstein said “I founded ICare4Autism because 20 years in the field convinced me that in order to successfully tackle the global autism epidemic, we need a global community of researchers, educators and advocates that cuts across artificial disciplinary, institutional, cultural and national borders. For the first time, our new Global Autism Center will give us the ability to convene, enable and empower that community.”

“The Global Autism Center will drive the research needed to at last discover the etiology of autism and its biologic and environmental causes; and create opportunities for the powerful multi-disciplinary collaborations needed to bring better methods of detection and treatment to patients and their families all over the world,” said Dr. Eric Hollander, the Chairman of ICare4Autism’s Scientific Advisory Council.

“On this historic day, we welcome The International Center for Autism Research and Education’s plan to create a Global Autism Center on Mt. Scopus, and we look forward to the breakthroughs in autism research that will emanate from its Jerusalem campus to benefit the entire world,” said Mayor Barkat.

- CLICK HERE to View the Official Press Release –

About I.C.A.R.E

The International Center for Autism Research and Education (ICare4Autism) was founded by Joshua Weinstein, Ph.D., M.B.A. in 2004 in New York City, to catalyze and drive collaborations among institutions around the world seeking to discover the etiology of autism, searching for biologic and environmental causes, and, ultimately, working toward better methods of detecting and treating autism.

(Left/Right) Zvika Barak, Chair of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design speaking with Joshua Weinstein, President & Founder of ICare4Autism, outside Jerusalem's City Hall

About Joshua Weinstein, Ph.D., M.B.A.  

Dr. Joshua Weinstein is the Founder and President of the International Center for Autism Research and Education, which encompasses Shema Kolainu – Hear our Voices School and Center for Children with Autism in New York City, and Tishma – ABA School and Center for Children with Autism in Jerusalem, Israel.

About Dr. Eric Hollander, MD

Dr. Hollander, Chairman of the Advisory Council of the International Center for Autism Education and Research, (ICare4Autism) is an internationally renowned psychiatrist on the faculty of Montefiore Medical Center University Hospital of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, former Chair of Psychiatry at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and Director of the Seaver and Greater New York Autism Center of Excellence.

CLICK on IMAGE, to View the Presentation for the GLOBAL AUTISM CENTER

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See Recent PRESS

CLICK HERE

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Those interested in becoming a part of the creation of the Global Autism Center can CLICK HERE to view the presentation, pertaining to this project.