PREVENTION AND THERAPY OF CEREBRAL FOLATE DEFICIENCY

摘要

The present invention relates to methods and means to prevent CFD and/or to treat CFD at a very early stage, when CFD has not yet fully developed. It was found that circulating and blocking autoantibodies to FR represent one of the major causes of CFD and that prognosis improves the younger a child can be treated. The invention as such in particular relates to a method of screening infants and their mothers for the presence of circulating autoantibodies in their serum and/or for low 5MTHF CSF levels, followed by a prompt treatment of a subject in need thereof with a folate supplement in case the testing procedure is positive. Such screening should also be performed for all children or any other subjects as soon as at least 3 of the major criteria of CFD manifest. It was further found that the addition of antioxidants to a folate supplement maintains stability of 5MTHF and can help restore an impaired 5MTHF uptake in the nervous system due to the circulation of blocking autoantibodies. Avoidance of foods and products, containing proteins with similar amino acid sequences as compared to human FRs, is strongly preferred in the preparation of compounds or food products for the prevention and/or treatment of CFD. The methods and means of the invention have a major impact on the health of the population and can help to reduce the incidence of for instance autism and schizophrenia related to CFD.