XMRV and Autism
I also asked Dr. Insel about the recent discovery that a retrovirus, XMRV, had been found in 98% of all patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Some researchers say the virus may be implicated in autism, as well.
"We are hot on that, and I wish I could tell you more," Insel said. "All I can tell you is that we have an intramural program here which is kind of our home team, which has seen about 400 kids with autism over the last couple of years. And they have been looking at regression; they've been looking at recovery." He said the researchers "jumped on the XMRV thing even before it was published."
Dr. Insel said that he had heard that researchers at the University of Nevada had identified XMRV in about 40% of ASD children studied. "I have been trying to track that," he said. "There is a paper that has been submitted, but I haven't been able to get it, and I don't know what the data look like. But I think this is really interesting."
Why? Because, he said, "If we could just find a small group, and the opportunity to begin an antiretroviral treatment regime, that could be terrific. That would be the kind of thing we're really looking for in this field, is finding the subgroups that might have specific therapies that would make a difference."