HOW EUROPEAN RELIGION AND IMPERIALISM HINDERED AFRICA'S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

CC™ PersPective

By Yahaya Balogun

"When the healthy people are labeled as sick by the deluded ones, we can't simply sit back and let their chaos erode sanity and decency in our world." - Yahaya Balogun.

"Neo-colonialism is more evil than colonialism. Neo-colonialism has penetrated deeper into the mental palace and consciousness of Africans." - By Yahaya Balogun.

"How Europe Underdeveloped Africa" is a book authored by Walter Rodney. It is a concise book that chronologically exposes the hypocrisy of the brutish British and their co-defilers of Africa. Walter Rodney's timeless book unveils the unsettling truths of today's African world.

Some of the looted and stolen African cultural artifacts were recently discovered in one of the British universities. The newly "born-again" citadel of learning, the University of Aberdeen, was explicitly one of these "fantastically corrupt" imperial universities in Great Britain and the European Union. A panel of experts at the University of Aberdeen unanimously recommended returning the priceless Nigerian artifacts that were looted and stolen (not collections, as embellished by the British media) from Benin City in 1897 by British soldiers. The soon-to-be repatriated Nigerian bronze depicts our grand Oba (King) of Benin. According to BBC News, this Benin antique was acquired by the University of Aberdeen at an auction in 1957. It's sadly bittersweet and heartwarming that moral history is unfolding in this prestigious university.

It's exciting and pertinent to note that the assemblage of plant species nurtures fertile African grounds. The grounds provide the world with nourishing foods in the lands watered by tropical rainfall. Africa was a continent naturally situated in lush green vegetation. The landscapes of Africa provided the much-needed spaces and tranquility the continent of Africa deserved. Africa was the cradle of civilization. But the colonial masters came and bastardized our beautiful cultural inheritance.

Meanwhile, continental Africa was a beautiful regional geopolitical climate with the convergence of ideas brilliantly nestled in our delightful cultural estate sophistication. Africa's cultural renaissance rests on the way forward. We must begin reviving our art and literature under the influence of classical models to reorder our cultural values. Africa is currently under the tutelage of neocolonialism - a distorted and infused cultural identity. Our continent was raped and defiled by the European imperial manipulators, the imperialists we ignorantly presumed brought uncanny and unsettling civilization to Africa—the relish we all glorify today.

European imperialists bequeathed us a neocolonial legacy — a relentless force erasing African cultural identity and heritage. This insidious machine thrives on manipulation, distorting minds through the icy grip of imperialist ideologies. Despite their education, it's startling to witness scholars and professors falling prey to the fallacy of religious miracles over the tenets of medical science.

The ancient times of Africa recorded the best human and natural endowments and development. Still, the brutish British came to Africa through an immoral expedition to defile African well-rounded, rustic, and well-organized cultural representations. The British expeditionists saw the overflow of African resources. They returned to the House of Lords to brief and inform the House members about exploring African natural resources through colonialism. The periods of African usurpation by the British were the dark periods of human history. African cultural heritage was ravished. Our Kings, Queens, and Kingdoms were subjects of tricks, assaults, abuses, and inferiority complexes. The colonial masters made a harmless incursion into the traditional African administration. For their administrative convenience, they indirectly governed Africa through what is now known as "indirect rule." Colonial periods in Africa were the most reprehensible periods in the history of humankind.

The colonial period's institutionalization of gullibility, hypocrisy, bigotry, and religious dogmatism persist. We continue to carry the cross of imperialism to this day through religion, political assemblies, and the denigration and disinformation of African cultures and socio-cultural heritage. The British imperialists promoted their superiority complex in faith, making African cultures and religions sacrilegiously taboo. The British imperialists organized local and assimilated government systems to upend the organized African traditions and their beautiful system of government.

Contentiously, the evil empire and the British axis of imperialism have become subjects of conversation worldwide. After Africa's independence from the colonialists, it attempted to reconstruct its defiled heritage and moral structures. The brutish British empire and imperialists believed that if Africa were entirely independent, liberated, and free from colonialism, it would lead to a socioeconomic disaster for Europe and its Western allies. The British devised a means of recolonizing Africa – this time, it would be through neo-colonialism. As I have said in my recent article, "Neo-colonialism is eviler than colonialism. Neo-colonialism has penetrated deeper into the mental palace and consciousness of Africans." African leaders have perpetuated Africa's neocolonialism and the aftermath of all the evil eras of imperialism.

Furthermore, the lower level of emotion cunningly fostered in Africa provides:

• An enhanced chronic and deliberate ignorance.

• Deliberate indifference.

• Joyful arrogance among our people.

It is important to note that the susceptibility of the African people has absorbed European ways of life, with imperial recipes garnished with ignorance, religious profiteering through "In God's Name PLC," and political opportunism. The African people are currently relishing the above nuances and the cobwebs of neocolonialism.

Charting a new path forward:

Now is the moment to revive and reshape African value systems. We must join forces with the dedicated scholars at the University of Aberdeen to reclaim our looted and stolen artifacts scattered across Europe. As Professor George Boyne, the University’s Principal, remarked, holding onto culturally significant items acquired through unethical means is unjust. The University’s advocacy for the repatriation of the invaluable Benin bronzes marks a pivotal step forward:

• Africans must shed their mental shackles and embrace the richness of their lost cultural identity.

• A deep reflection on the past is needed, empowering ourselves to redefine our values and spark a cultural renaissance.

• It’s essential to dismantle feelings of inferiority and cultivate a sense of confidence within the global community.

• We must hold today's remorseful British leaders accountable for reparations owed for past injustices.

• Collaborative efforts with enlightened British scholars and advocates are crucial for the return of our precious antiquities.

Once regarded as noble custodians, former British imperialists are now seen as glorified thieves, having stripped Africa of its intellectual and cultural treasures while distorting our values and sentencing us to a legacy of confusion and ignorance. Africa deserves to reclaim its status as a cradle of civilization and moral virtue. Before the onset of imperialism, Africa thrived as a beacon of cultural renaissance. To restore her dignity and revive her historical glory, we must rise from the shadows of colonialism.

The saga of transactional sex on the campus of Nigerian universities

CC™ Editorial By Oludayo Tade 

Transactional sex among female undergraduates in Nigeria is a social reality. The practice has been reported on regularly in the mainstream media and explored in various research papers. 

This cross generational relationship is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, and across the world where sponsors are commonly known as “sugar daddies”.

In our study on transactional sex in Nigerian universities, my colleague and I looked at the symbiotic relationship between some female Nigerian undergraduate students and aristos – wealthy, married or unmarried men. The students have transactional sex with the aristos in exchange for financial, social or educational support.

Because a great deal of these relationships happen undercover, there are no solid figures on the number of women involved in them. But there are many reasons that these relationships happen. It’s a practice that’s driven by economic hardship, a desire to network socially, and peer influence.

To understand more about these relationships we conducted 30 interviews with female undergraduates – commonly known as “runs-girls”.

We found that the students engage in transactional sex for pleasure and money. Typically, wealthy students would be with an aristo for pleasure, while those who needed financial support did it for the money. Most of the women we spoke to viewed it as a critical survival life investment strategy and rejected the “prostitution” label.

Although these relationships could offer the students economic, emotional, and political support, their effects can also be negative. The students expose themselves to sexually transmitted infections, physical violence and academic setbacks, because the relationships can distract from their studies.

Those with sexually transmitted infections risk spreading these to their boyfriends, while also suffering economic losses seeking treatment.

Finding clients

Aristos are usually wealthy postgraduate students, lecturers, politicians, business people and military personnel. They are people with wealth and authority.

The students looked for these clients on and off campus, using connections and referrals. They then familiarized themselves with the potential client’s routine, aiming to eventually manufacture an encounter.

There’s usually a generational gap between the “runs-girls” and the aristos. The students often refer to their clients as “uncle”, “daddy” and, more recently, “aristo”. All of these bring connotations of the person’s expected role: to take care of the student.

If the students don’t have much financial support from their families, these relationships provide them with that security. Some started as a one-off “date”, for which they got a sum of money. But longer-term relationships also developed in some instances.

In return for sex, the women were given luxury possessions, like cars and mobile phones; investments for businesses they might start; or work placements when they finish their studies.

As one female student said:

The type of connection I have with politicians, lecturers, and military men cannot be purchased with money. At times, when I have problem, all I do is to make a call, depending on the nature of challenges…

In Nigeria, about 23% of young people are unemployed. These connections, with people of influence, may be a ticket to employment. As one “runs-girl” revealed:

One of my clients who happened to be a commissioner connected my senior sister to get a job at immigration even without any much stress…

Transactional sex isn’t limited to financially strapped students. We spoke to rich female students who engaged in it for sexual fulfillment. One 24 year old student said:

I am from a rich home, my father is even a Major (in the army), and my mother a nurse, but I’m involved in campus runs because of sexual satisfaction, although nothing goes for nothing, because sex is for enjoyment. I have a guy that I help financially, and on the long run he pays me back with sex.

Challenges

In this research we identified a few challenges.

Some “runs-girls” accepted offers of unprotected sex for better pay. This put them at risk of catching sexually transmitted infections and, consequently, the cost of treatment. As one student said:

I am always scared of having naked (unprotected) sex. Most times I use (a) condom because one can never know a man that has HIV/AIDS. Although sometimes some men always want naked sex and in that case, they will have to pay triple than what is earlier bargained. Part of the money realized as a runs-girl are used in revitalizing the body, in which I go to the hospital once in a month to examine myself.

Other risks are that the women could be physically harmed. This is particularly true if the clients choose not to pay an agreed amount.

Their education could also suffer as they may choose to engage in “runs” rather than go to class.

Action needed

Getting the government or even universities to take action will prove difficult because our evidence suggests that policy makers, politicians and the business class are involved, as aristos.

Nevertheless, given the risks associated, something ought to be done.One possible solution might be to establish part-time jobs for vulnerable students, and to institute courses about running businesses so that young women can earn money independently.

In addition, institutions should put together and roll out communications campaigns that teach young people about the implications of transactional sex.

Suspected Fulani herdsmen kill 23 in fresh Jihadist attacks in Nigeria

CC™ PersPective

By Peter Dudu

At least 23 persons have been reportedly killed in separate attacks by suspected armed herdsmen in four Local Government Areas, LGAs, of Benue State.

The communities that witnessed the attacks in the last 24 hours were in Guma, Logo, Ukum and Kwande LGAs.

It was gathered that while nine persons were killed in Logo LGA, eight were killed in Ukum, while six were also killed in Guma and Kwande LGAs.

A source in Kwande LGA, Dr. Ray Anumve, disclosed that armed herdsmen and suspected Jukun militants Friday attacked Turan communities in Kwande LGA, killing nine persons.

He said, “The coordinated bloody attacks were carried out by armed herdsmen and suspected Jukun-speaking assailants across multiple locations in Turan, Kwande LGA of the State, resulting in deaths, injuries, and displacement. The assailants spoke Fulfulde and Jukun.”

He said the Mbaav Clan, Mbadura Council Ward, near Tse Yande compound, Gusa crossing, River Katsina-Ala, was besieged when the assailants crossed the river and attacked farmers who were returning from their farms.

He said Mr. Agwei, a farmer, was killed while his brother and son were left with severe injuries, adding that they are both receiving treatment at a clinic in Jato-Aka.

“They also attack Anwase, Mkomon Area, Mbaikyor Council Ward, killing one Mr. Iortsor, while at Waya, Yaav Council Ward, a motorcycle rider was shot in the stomach, resulting in protrusion of his intestines. He is receiving treatment at a clinic in Jato-Aka,” he said.

While lamenting the frequency of attacks in the area, Dr. Anumve also disclosed that multiple fatalities were recorded in an earlier attack at Ikurav-Ya Clan, particularly at Tyuav and Usambe Sha Hua, Liev I Ward, where “the casualty figures and property damaged are still being compiled by locals and community leaders.”

Another source in Ukum LGA said that nine persons were confirmed dead Saturday in Jootar “and more dead bodies are being recovered from the bush as a result of the herdsmen attacks.”

Among those killed in the attack were Jonathan Ordooga, Aondogu Torse, Cheater Torse, Yagba Torse, Tersugh Mbaaiiga, Terhemen Emmanuel, Henenshima Apirgwa and Orfega Atuku.

Meanwhile, in Guma LGA, a source who identified himself as Mr. Paul disclosed that there was mounting tension in Yelewata, Nyiev Council Ward, following the flooding of the community by armed herdsmen from neighbouring Nasarawa State.

He said, “The tension escalated after the armed herders macheted a youth from the community on May 8, 2025. The victim is currently battling for his life at a government hospital in Makurdi.”

A source in the area who spoke on condition of anonymity said the attacks had become a daily occurrence.

He said, “On May 9, Ukpiam in Mababai Council Ward was attacked; they killed three people and today, Saturday, May 10, Umenger in Mbadwem Council Ward was attacked. But for Umenger, we have not received reports yet on the casualties.

“Already, people have fled their homes even though it is farming season. But security agencies who are on the ground are trying their best to ensure that the herders pull out from the communities.”

Confirming the attack in Ukum LGA, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Mathew Abor, said he could not “ascertain those responsible for today’s killing in Ukum because there had been communal clashes there between the Tiv and Jukun groups.”

Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent, CSP, Catherine Anene, were unsuccessful.

VANGUARD

RACISM: An evil and methodical global system of oppression and consequent decimation.....

W.E.B DuBois

By Contributing Editor - Ayodeji Komolafe

"A system cannot fail those it was never meant to protect"..... W.E.B. DuBois

The afore-stated quote with the requisite attribution to the great W.E.B. DuBois essentially sums up the crux of the piece. Racism, as I have always stated is not a behavior, nor is it a word, action or an attitude. Racism at its very core is an institution with its attendant benefactors as well as victims.

There is nothing more disheartening than to hear people of an ethnic background in particular refer to an individual, an action or a statement as racist. The institution is what is racist. Yes, the institution that deemed the Black man and woman as less than human and forced people of African descent in particular into an artificial class, then proceeded to accuse them (to this day regardless of geographical location) of all manner of sin with the sole intent of damning and systematically subjugating them.

Whether it is in South Africa (pre or post apartheid), Brazil, Argentina (where Blacks have been systematically exterminated over time) and other parts of South America, the United States of America or countries in Europe like France and England, the system has always ensured that "people of color" (Blacks in particular) remain at the bottom. Brazil for example, has the second largest concentration of people of African descent (Blacks) after Nigeria. 

In Brazil, the poverty level among its Black or "colored" population is terrifying with the unemployment rate among the latter in Brazil well over the 50% clip. The same scenario plays out in the United States with Black unemployment rate nearing 10% (Blacks make up only 13% of the US population) and 1.6 times the US national unemployment average. 

The same pattern of subjugation is also found in South Africa where the majority population of close to 90% is black (African) but the broad unemployment rate among South African Blacks (who are the majority) stands at close to 40% and should be more if the unemployment among the "mixed-race Blacks" (designated as coloreds by the former racist apartheid regime) is also taken into consideration. 

In the third quarter of 2024, the unemployment rate for Black South Africans was a staggering 36.9%, which is higher than the national average and has been for the past decade. This is more than three decades after the supposed end of apartheid!

The sole intent of racism (as an institution) as designed by White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASP) was to ensure the continued dominance of other ethnic (non-White) groups by minimizing the traditional ways, religion, ideals and institutions of non-White racial groups, while promoting those of the colonialists and western imperialists as superior to those of the former.

It is not surprising that countries like Japan, China and the Asian Tigers, who have maintained their core culture and traditions are the ones that have been able to compete and even out-duel the so-called global WASP economic powers. The Chinese, Japanese and the Asian Tigers have kept their culture and institutions the way they have always been even in the face of some of the most debilitating wars and conflicts with the West, as they understand its existential importance to their survival.

African countries on the other hand continue to imbibe the alien cultures and values of the West with its attendant negative consequences. As a people, we (Africans) have essentially abandoned our traditional institutions including our language, thus embarking on a journey that may not augur well for the future survival of our people. 

The debilitating effect of colonialism and racism continue to take its toll on our people, our institutions and our way of life. In sports for example (soccer or football for one), we disregard our best local talent and seek even the most unqualified White expatriates to fill the same role, while paying them exorbitant amounts of money, a fraction of which the local handlers would gladly take, and produce better results than the White mercenaries.

Our women have been told that their natural beauty is not enough, and that they must purchase and wear human hair procured from dead women in India and other parts of Asia and Europe to be considered beautiful. The same racist institution also tells them they must bleach their skin so they can be light skinned like Beyoncé (the white held ideal of Black beauty) and inculcates the Black woman with anti-male propaganda that has inevitably seen the Black man and the Black woman increasingly at odds with one another.

The most obvious example(s) of the effects of racism are the US elections in 2016 and the most recent one this year, 2024, that saw Donald J. Trump elected as the 45th and soon to be 47th POTUS. There is no question that Donald Trump's first election in 2016 was in response to the election of his predecessor, Barack H. Obama as the 44th POTUS. Obama (who is half White and half Black) was elected in 2008, against all odds as the so-called first Black POTUS. 

He (Obama) endured some of the most contentious times any POTUS has ever endured in the history of the United States and by the end of his tenure, the majority White population already had enough and any White person, no matter how unqualified, would do. The election of Donald Trump was essentially a White backlash to the election of the first Black POTUS!

The 2024 elections followed the same trajectory with the backlash this time against perceived marginalization of Whites (talk about an oxymoron) by DEI (Diversity Equity & Inclusion) programs that seek to promote equality of representation and opportunity across the national landscape. 

When you see all these scenarios, it is clear to see that racism is an institution, an evil and methodical system of continued oppression, marginalization and consequent decimation of a class of people by and with the apparatus of national and global economic, executive, judicial, legislative and military power.

Africa and Africans must wake up from their slumber. We must realize that the second scramble for the continent is already in effect and those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. 

Rather than looking to join global organizations like the G20 or BRICS, the impetus should be to strengthen our traditional and cultural institutions at home, while also forging greater regional and inter-regional cooperation amongst African countries and economies. 

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), ECCAS, EAC, SADC, COMESA, CEN-SAD, AMU and the IGAD are Regional Economic Communities (RECs) recognized by the AU (African Union) for the sole purpose of fostering greater cooperation towards ensuring the economic prosperity of the African continent. 

The focus should be inward first. Then when you engage externally, you do that with a united front and from a position of strength. The economic policies being espoused by the West are geared towards maintaining the status quo and African leaders must NOT mortgage the future of the continent to please those who seek to bring the continent to its knees.

#racism #imperialism #neo-colonialism #white supremacy #panafricanism

Yes, racism is still very much alive and will always be here.....

CC™ Editor's VideoSpective

This ABC experiment on racial prejudice is quite revealing and speaks not only to the prejudices carried by the "majority", but those unfortunately imbibed by the recipients, as a result of centuries of a sense of diminished self-worth, resulting from institutional and related racial prejudice.

Watch and learn.....

Insecurity: Catholic leaders lament over “endless ocean of blood” in Nigeria

CC™ PersPective

By Oladipupo Mojeed 

Nearly 200 Christians were brutally killed in Nigeria within a week, sparking outrage among Catholic leaders who are now calling for urgent action to stop what they describe as an “endless ocean of blood.”

Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto, a leading voice in Nigeria’s Catholic community, condemned the latest wave of violence after the Palm Sunday massacre in Zikke village, Plateau State, where at least 56 Christians were murdered by armed Fulani militants.

Kukah said: “This is another tributary of blood. Flowing into an invisible ocean of blood that now threatens to swallow the Plateau.”

The massacre in Zikke was just one in a series of coordinated attacks.

According to reports, five other predominantly Christian villages near Jos were also attacked, with over 50 additional lives lost.

Victims, including women and children, were burned in their homes. Survivors described harrowing scenes of destruction, the air still thick with the smell of smoke and death.

“This is Nigeria — no amount of blood is ever enough to make us pause,” Kukah added.

Catholic leaders argue that the Nigerian government’s response to terrorism and armed herdsmen has been grossly inadequate.

They cite growing impunity, ethnic bias, and an unwillingness to classify Fulani militias as terrorist groups.

Over the past decade, more than 20,000 Christians have reportedly been killed, primarily in the country’s Middle Belt and southeast.

Critics accuse the government of allowing these armed groups to operate freely, even as Christian communities are denied the right to self-defence.

Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja echoed the call for communities to defend themselves in the absence of state protection.

He said: “You can’t just sit there while somebody comes to kill your family. You must rise up and protect your communities against these bloodthirsty criminals.”

Catholic leaders are now urging the international community—including the United States and the European Union—to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern and to classify the Fulani extremist groups as terrorist organizations.

“This is no longer just a Nigerian problem. It is a moral crisis the world can no longer afford to ignore,” Kukah warned.

POLITICS NIGERIA

Australian PM basks in win, promises ‘orderly’ government

CC™ PersPective

Australia’s left-leaning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese basked Sunday in his landslide election win, promising a “disciplined, orderly” government to confront cost-of-living pain and tariff turmoil.

Residents clapped as the 62-year-old and his fiancee Jodie Haydon visited his old inner Sydney haunt, Cafe Italia, surrounded by a crowd of jostling photographers and TV journalists.

Albanese’s Labor Party is on course to win at least 83 seats in the 150-member parliament, partial results showed.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton’s conservative Liberal-National coalition had just 38 seats, and other parties 12. Another 17 seats were still in doubt.

“We will be a disciplined, orderly government in our second term,” Albanese said, after scooping ice cream for journalists in a cafe he used to visit with his late mother.

“We’ll work hard each and every day,” he promised, but took a quick break first for a Sunday afternoon visit to a craft brewery, Willie the Boatman, that serves “Albo Pale Ale”.

Dutton, a hard-nosed former policeman, who critics tagged “Trump-lite” for policies that included slashing the civil service, endured the rare humiliation of losing his own seat.

US President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs, and the chaos they unleashed, may not have been the biggest factor in the Labor Party victory, but analysts said they helped.

“If we want to understand why a good chunk of the electorate has changed across the election campaign over the last couple of months, I think that’s the biggest thing,” said Henry Maher, a politics lecturer at the University of Sydney.

“In times of instability, we expect people to go back to a kind of steady incumbent.”

The scale of Albanese’s win took his own party by surprise.

“It’s still sinking in,” Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.

“This was beyond even our most optimistic expectations. It was a history-making night. It was one for the ages,” Chalmers told national broadcaster ABC.

But the win came with “healthy helpings of humility”, he said, because under-pressure Australians want “stability in uncertain times”.

Albanese has promised to embrace renewable energy, cut taxes, tackle a worsening housing crisis, and pour money into a creaking healthcare system.

Dutton wanted to slash immigration, crack down on crime and ditch a longstanding ban on nuclear power.

Before the first vote was even counted, speculation was mounting over whether the 54-year-old opposition leader could survive an election loss.

“We didn’t do well enough during this campaign. That much is obvious tonight and I accept full responsibility,” Dutton told supporters in a concession speech.

Economic concerns have dominated the contest for the many Australian households struggling to pay inflated prices for milk, bread, power and petrol.

“The cost of living, it’s extremely high at the moment… Petrol prices, all the basic stuff,” human resources manager Robyn Knox told AFP in Brisbane.

The 36-day campaign was a largely staid affair but there were moments of unscripted levity.

Albanese tumbled backwards off the stage at a heaving campaign rally, while Dutton drew blood when he hit an unsuspecting cameraman in the head with a stray football.

Leaders around the world congratulated Albanese on his triumph.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hoped to “promote freedom and stability in the Indo-Pacific” with Australia, a “valued ally, partner, and friend of the United States”.

An unnamed Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Beijing was “ready to work” with Australia’s government.

Albanese said he had spoken with the prime ministers of Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, and received “some good text messages” from leaders in Britain, France, “and a range of others”.

The premier said he planned to speak with the leaders of Indonesia and Ukraine, promising to back Kyiv against Russia’s invasion: “That’s my government’s position. It was yesterday. It still is.”

AFP

Discovery: Scientists ‘switch off’ autism symptoms using $3 epilepsy drug

CC™ HealthWatch

By Adriana Diaz

Scientists are reporting a breakthrough discovery: A $3-per-pill epilepsy drug may be used to “switch off” autism symptoms in mice, according to a new peer-reviewed study published Tuesday in Molecular Psychiatry journal.

Autism spectrum disorder is a complex developmental condition that impacts how an estimated 5.4 million (2.2% of) adults — and one in 44 children — in the United States perceives and socializes with others. It is often accompanied by abnormalities such as epilepsy or hyperactivity, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

A team of experts at Germany’s Hector Institute for Translational Brain Researchfound that the medication lamotrigine — an anti-seizure drug first approved for use in the US in 1994 — was able to curb behavioral and social problems linked to the disorder.

Now, their findings are being hyped as the closest thing yet to a potential cure for humans.

“Apparently, drug treatment in adulthood can alleviate brain cell dysfunction and thus counteract the behavioral abnormalities typical of autism,” lead researcher and cellular biologist Moritz Mall said in a statement. “[This occurs] even after the absence of MYT1L has already impaired brain development during the developmental phase of the organism.”

Lamotrigine, which is sold under the brand name Lamictal, among others, is a medication used to treat epilepsy and stabilize mood in those who suffer from bipolar disorder.

The drug, which typically sells for just under $3 per pill, works by reversing changes to brain cells caused by a genetic mutation.

Scientists have spent years searching forthe molecular abnormalities that contribute to ASD and have identified MYT1L protein as one that plays a role in various neuronal diseases. 

The protein is a so-called transcription factor produced by almost all the nerve cells in the body that decides which genes are or are not active in the cell. It also “protects the identity of nerve cells by suppressing other developmental pathways that program a cell towards muscle or connective tissue.”

Mutations of the protein have previously been linked to other neurological diseases and brain malformations. 

To test impact of the protein on autism symptoms, researchers at HITBR genetically “switched off” MYT1L in mice and human nerve cells. They found that this led to electrophysiological hyperactivation in the mouse and human neurons impairing nerve function. 

The mice lacking MYT1L suffered from brain abnormalities and showed several behavioral changes typical to ASD, such as social deficits or hyperactivity.

Researchers noted that the most “striking” reaction was the discovery that the MYT1L-deficient neurons produced extra sodium channels that are typically restricted to cells in the heart muscle. 

These proteins are critical for electrical conductivity and cell function as they allow sodium ions to travel through the cell membrane. Nerve cells that overproduce these sodium channels can result in electrophysiological hyperactivation — a common symptom of autism.

“When MYT1L-deficient nerve cells were treated with lamotrigine, their electrophysiological activity returned to normal. In mice, the drug was even able to curb ASD-associated behaviors such as hyperactivity,” the statement continued.

These promising results come as autism rates have skyrocketed in the NYC metro area. Autism diagnoses have tripled in the New York-New Jersey metro area: from 1% of the population in 2000 to 3% in 2016. 

It is believed that part of the drastic increase of these diagnoses is due to the growing number of diagnoses of children without intellectual disabilities, which are therefore less likely to have been identified previously.

But earlier, more accurate diagnoses don’t completely explain the upward trend, which was based on estimates from the CDC. Experts have warned that the growing trend of women giving birth later in life may be partly responsible for the rise. 

Meanwhile, clinical human trials studying lamotrigine’s impact on MYT1L are being planned — and while the research is currently limited to mice, the results are promising, researchers stressed.

SOURCE:  NYP

Islam As A Mask For Arab Imperialism, Neo-Colonialism And Racism In Africa

CC™ VideoSpective

Gaddafi Assassination - Former US Lawmaker’s Explosive Interview With Tucker Carlson

CC™ VideoSpective

The Africa News Network (TANN)