I started this series not sure what I was getting myself into. I really didn't have a very good idea of what I would be researching, or what the series truly was. What I was most mistaken about was how huge this series was going to become.I think everyone started work on this series not really sure what it was going to become or even what direction it was headed in. We began by brainstorming and were all very open to new ideas and ways to get this story across. That's where this blog came in.
We provided a place for all our viewers to come and contribute what they would like to see covered in the series. I want to thank all of you on behalf of the entire team for those contributions, they helped us mold our series into what it became. What I am almost most proud of in this series is the user-directed content and the open dialogue this website provided for our viewers.
My initial research focused on alternative methods to treat autism. This includes bio meds and chelation therapy. Although these are controversial treatments, the fact that parents claim this helps their children makes this newsworthy. I also got to take three trips for this series: I went to Lexington, Kentucky for the interview with Dr. Boyd Haley, Kansas City, Missouri for the interview with Dr. Charles Rudolph, and I went to the Thompson Center in Columbia for the interview with Dr. Judith Miles. I think that even these three interviews show the many different sides of the debate that we showcased in "Combating Autism from Within."
I hope that this series sheds light on the subject matter and judging by the dialogue it created on this website, I know that it did. I encourage everyone to check out all of the extras on http://www.komu.com/. We have extra clips from the interviews, slideshows and behind the scenes footage that will give viewers a more in-depth look at what went into this series.
That being said, the series is not over. There is still a one-hour show left that I encourage everyone to watch. I want to thank everyone who helped with this series, and I want to thank everyone who watched it. I would like to thank everyone we interviewed for sharing their expertise with us and with the viewers. I am especially thankful for those of you who watched the series and came to the site to post your comments. The dialogue you participated in is what I am most proud of in this series.
2 comments:
I hope that this series sheds light on the subject matter and judging by the dialogue it created on this website, I know that it did.
Robert, what do you think your audience learned from this series? What did you learn? Is there anything you wish you had done differently?
ANB-you have too much time on your hands to keep avoiding this science:
1: Toxicol In Vitro. 2007 Oct;21(7):1258-61. Epub 2007 Apr 14.
Reduced tubulin tyrosination as an early marker of mercury toxicity in
differentiating N2a cells.
Lawton M, Iqbal M, Kontovraki M, Lloyd Mills C, Hargreaves AJ.
Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Centre, School of Biomedical and Natural
Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, United
Kingdom.
The aims of this work were to compare the effects of methyl mercury chloride and
thimerosal on neurite/process outgrowth and microtubule proteins in
differentiating mouse N2a neuroblastoma and rat C6 glioma cells. Exposure for 4h
to sublethal concentrations of both compounds inhibited neurite outgrowth to a
similar extent in both cells lines compared to controls. In the case of N2a
cells, this inhibitory effect by both compounds was associated with a fall in the
reactivity of western blots of cell extracts with monoclonal antibody T1A2, which
recognises C-terminally tyrosinated alpha-tubulin. By contrast, reactivity with
monoclonal antibody B512 (which recognises total alpha-tubulin) was unaffected at
the same time point. These findings suggest that decreased tubulin tyrosination
represents a neuron-specific early marker of mercury toxicity associated with
impaired neurite outgrowth.
Publication Types:
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PMID: 17553660 [PubMed - in process]
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