The Center for the Study of Autism has received numerous inquiries about secretin. Several reports about this hormone have appeared on television, including ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Dateline; and in many newspapers throughout the world. From the onset, it is important to state that there are no controlled clinical studies on the efficacy of secretin for autistic individuals. Since there is a demand for information about this new treatment, we thought we would provide our readers with some basic information about secretin.

Part of the excitement about secretin is that about 200 autistic individuals, mostly in the United States, have been given secretin infusions; and many, possibly the majority, appear to have improved within a few days after the infusion. Parents have reported sudden improvements in speech/language, eye contact, sleep, and attentiveness. Children who suffered from chronic diarrhea for many years have had their first formed stool within a day or two after the infusion.

Much of the credit for discovering secretin as a possible treatment for autism goes to Victoria Beck, the parent of an autistic child. Victoria's son, Parker, was suffering from chronic diarrhea; and she had him tested for gastrointestinal problems. One test involved administering secretin to Parker to examine the functioning of his pancreas. Following the test procedure, Victoria and her husband, Gary, noticed that their son's diarrhea stopped; and his behavior improved remarkably. After asking many questions, reading the scientific research literature, and being quite persistent, Victoria was able to demonstrate that it was the secretin that was responsible for her son's improvement. She spread the word in various ways and others soon confirmed her findings.

Secretin is a hormone that is found in the pancreas, liver, and upper intestinal tract. Secretin stimulates the pancreas to release bicarbonate and digestive enzymes into the intestinal tract, and stimulates the liver to excrete bile and the stomach to produce pepsin. Secretin is also found in the brain and stimulates the production of serotonin.

The two questions regarding secretin are: Does it truly help autistic individuals; and if so, how does it work? Clinical research studies underway will answer the first question; and we hope to have this answer within a year. As for the second question, there are several theories; and I will briefly describe two of them.

One theory is that since secretin stimulates proper digestion and assimilation of foods, it may help nourish the brain and protect it from neurotoxins in foods. Another theory is that secretin stimulates the production of serotonin in the brain, which has been known to be abnormally low in autism. Serotonin is responsible for many functions in the brain including the regulation of arousal, attention, and learning.

The effects of secretin last around 4 to 6 weeks, and it appears to be relatively safe. The secretin that has been used for autism is porcine (i.e., it is made from pigs). There is some concern about receiving multiple infusions of porcine secretin. That is, the body may develop antibodies to the secretin since it is extracted from pig organs; or a person may develop antibodies to the impurities within the infusion. A test has been recently developed at the University of Maryland which determines whether a person has developed antibodies to the secretin infusion.

The company which produces secretin, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, has cut back on their production because there has not been much of a demand for this product in the past; and in order to continue producing secretin, they would have to modernize their extraction procedure. There are many people in the autism field who are working hard to make secretin available again.

Research on the efficacy of secretin is critical for our understanding of secretin as a therapy for autism. Currently, there are at least four research studies underway. If these research studies can document improvement and should secretin become widely available, it is exciting to think that an effective and accepted treatment option may be just around the corner. Thousands of parents have begun seeking secretin treatment already, since it appears to be both safe and useful.