This design of the two shores of the Strait with the cities of Messina and Reggio dates back to the earthquake and tsunami which occurred on December 28, 1908, and destroyed most of the two cities and surrounding towns and caused the loss of more than 100 thousand lives. This tragic event is described with great passion in the true story of a Calabrian family that emigrated to the United States at the beginning of the twentieth century: Elizabeth Street - From Scilla to New York
During the course on PID (Primary Immuno Deficiencies) of November 2018 in Reggio Calabria a study session on autism was held.
Why a session on autism?
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Why a session on autism?
The simplest answer to this question lies in the extreme vulnerability to various infectious diseases which characterise patients suffering from both congenital (or primary) and acquired immunodeficiencies in the absence of vaccination campaigns in the population and in particular in the child population.
Vaccinations are unfortunately sometimes opposed by some parents of autistic children because they are wrongly considered to be the cause of autism itself.
The autism research project that was funded by MISE (Ministry of Industry and Economic Development) will take place from 2021 to 2023 in concurrence with project 3 that aims at the dissemination of related knowledge.
It creates an ideal “bridge over the Strait”, a collaboration between the cities of Reggio and Messina which are united by centuries of history including the last terrible earthquake of 1908.
Premise
The possibility of a link between vaccinations and the onset of diseases in patients with Primary Immuno-Deficiencies (IDP) or autism has been studied for years.
With regards to Primary Immuno-Deficiencies (PID), a series of very useful public health measures on vaccinations have been defined in order to prevent the onset of a certain infectious disease (e.g. measles) in particular in immunodeficiencies as well as healthy children Regarding autism it has been demonstrated by many studies that there is no statistical correlation between the onset of autism and administration of vaccinations. Furthermore, the work of Prof. Evan Eichler (Seattle, WA) on genetic mutations associated with many forms of autism, summarized in the lesson carried out in November 2018 in Reggio Calabria has debunked the myth of the "cause-and-effect" relationship between vaccinations and autism advocated by the No-Vax movements.
The day after Evan Eichler's report, a round table entitled "Comorbidities related to immunodeficiencies, genetic disorders and vaccines" was held at the Mediterranean University of Reggio, in which several families of autistic patients participated.
This part of the program (all in Italian) was streamed to schools in Calabria and other regions, which allowed discussion and questions from many students.
Studies of behavioral and genetic effects of autism
During the same course of 2018 in Reggio, another important presentation on autistic disorders was carried out by Prof. Giovanni Pioggia, Director of the Institute of the CNR-ISASI of Messina and the Bonino-Pulejo Foundation, who described the scientific collaboration in this field that was just beginning between the two cities of the Straits, Messina and Reggio.
In fact, the two Institutes of the National Research Council (CNR) of the Strait have developed an ambitious research project that starting from January 2021 will benefit for three years of a total funding of 8 million Euros granted by the Italian Ministry of Innovation and Economic Development.
The activities envisaged in the project have the following two objectives:
- a technological objective linked to the creation of an innovative platform that aims on the one hand at the identification of genetic markers (CNR of Reggio) and on the other of clinical-behavioral markers (CNR of Messina);
- a second socio-health objective aimed at anticipating the diagnosis of autistic-spectrum disorders in the first year of life compared to the protocols now available that allow adiagnosis of autism no earlierthan the third year.
Objectives
As a whole these research projects aim to develop new approaches to the early assessment of autistic-spectrum disorders based on the collection and analysis of behavioral and possibly genetic markers.
During the project, collaborations will be developed with national and international consortia dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of autism.
These new approaches will lead to future significant improvement in methodologies which reduce the severity of symptoms and enhance the quality of life of autistic children and their families.
Project manager in Sicily: Prof. Giovanni Pioggia - CNR - Messina (Project Manager)
Project manager in Calabria: Dott.ssa Alessandra Testa - CNR - Reggio Calabria