<![CDATA[Orchid Advocacy - Translational Medicine Friday]]>Sat, 20 Jun 2026 12:37:03 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[An "Over-reactive immune system" --- & Multiple, Cumulative, Diverse Triggers]]>Thu, 18 Jun 2026 16:03:48 GMThttps://orchidadvocacy.org/translational-medicine-friday/an-over-reactive-immune-system-multiple-cumulative-diverse-triggers
Val's Take/Conjecture
University of Michigan
The Study of Bipolar Disorder is the Study of Humanity (2017)

Cells that are DEVELOPMENTALLY MORE REACTIVE --- with a LIFE OF THIER OWN.
​Crash Course World History
Disease!  (2014)
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What is the Exposome?
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How does Maternal Immune Activation Prime Life-Long Immune-Brain Vulnerability?
Maternal immune activation reprograms the fetal brain and immune system, creating long‑term vulnerability to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.

Maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy or early postnatal life acts as an early-life “hit” that reshapes fetal brain development, neuroimmune circuits, and epigenetic regulation, with effects lasting into adolescence and adulthood.
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Thucydides
​Ancient Greek Historian Thucydides is most famous for the History of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.)

As part of documenting the antecedents to the war, Thucydides includes the Plague of Athens in 430 B.C.

"The earliest known reference to immunity was during the plague of Athens in 430 BC. Thucydides noted that people who had recovered from a previous bout of the disease could nurse the sick without contracting the illness a second time"   --- Wikipedia
That understanding of the Immune System is what a lot of us  have today, but knowledge regarding the Immune System has exploded.
  • The Brain is NOT IMMUNE PRIVILEGED as once thought.
  • The Immune System is involved in "SOCIAL BEHAVIOR."
  • The Immune System is involved in Neuro-Developmental, Psychiatric & Addiction Disorders.
  • Aging of the Immune System is a strong predictor of longevity --- IMMUNOSENSCENCE --- "the gradual deterioration of the immune system."
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​Pathophysiological associations between maternal immune activation and neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring: a comprehensive review  (2025)
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Summary

​MIA primes lifelong immune–brain vulnerability by:

(1) altering placental signaling and fetal cytokine balance;

(2) reprogramming neural progenitors, microglia, and macrophages;

(3) inducing durable epigenetic and transcriptomic changes in neural circuits; and

​(4) reshaping offspring immune responses to later challenges.

​Together, these processes create a long‑lasting, system‑wide susceptibility to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.
]]><![CDATA[Moving from short-term, acute Rehab to Long-Term Recovery and Support in Addiction care]]>Sat, 06 Jun 2026 13:39:07 GMThttps://orchidadvocacy.org/translational-medicine-friday/moving-from-short-term-acute-rehab-to-long-term-recovery-and-support-in-addiction-care
Val's Take/Conjecture:

Talking about Substance Use and Neuro-Diversity is fraught because Neuro-Diverse People often represent the EXTREMES and a wide range of unusual combinations.

Typically, people with ADHD are perceived to have more problems with Substance Use than people with Autism.   It's a lot more complicated than that.

We have these broad categories --- BUT they often miss the CLINICAL COMPLEXITY.

Clinicians are presented with people with complex Developmental Issues and diverse and complex Neuro-Immune Trajectories over the LIFESPAN.

The public and policy makers and I often tell Clinicians -- like Zuzu to George Bailey, "Fix it Daddy (or Mommy)" ---- without a solid understanding of what we're talking about --- and that includes the Clinicians.

We're getting better understandings and that should help provide support for that Comprehensive Continuum of Care that can handle large numbers of "COMPLEX CASES" while at the same time providing the TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH AND MEDICINE that we need to make the best use of limited resources.

"In summary: Clapton’s drug problems were severe and career‑damaging, but he never served time in prison for drug offenses. His recovery came through multiple rehab stays and personal resolve, not legal incarceration."  --- Copilot.

BUT --- the Ethical and Policy Challenges of ADDICTION are REAL. 

​See Colorado community reels after police say driver with revoked license from a DUI hits 2 pedestrians, killing 1.

Can Maternal Immune Activation and Immune Priming predispose people to not only Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Disorders but also Addiction Disorders?

​While maternal immune activation clearly increases risk for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, animal and review data also indicate it can heighten vulnerability to addictive behaviors, especially when combined with later “second hits” like adolescent stress or drug exposure.
​Eric Clapton
Cocaine
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Do Addiction Treatments need to be re-oriented from Short-Term Rehab to Long Term recovery?

​Conclusion
​
Across quantitative, qualitative, and review studies, addiction is framed as a long-term condition, and longer, sustained, adaptive care outperforms brief, stand‑alone rehab.

The literature strongly supports re-orienting systems toward chronic-disease style, recovery-focused care that combines acute treatment with ongoing monitoring, supports, and community resources.
]]><![CDATA[PCOS/PMOS and relationships with neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders --- Challenging Organ-by-organ views of disease]]>Sat, 06 Jun 2026 00:53:28 GMThttps://orchidadvocacy.org/translational-medicine-friday/pcospmos-and-relationships-with-neuro-developmental-and-psychiatric-disorders-challenging-organ-by-organ-views-of-disease
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Dr. Melanie Cree is a Professor of Medicine
​ at the University of Colorado Anschutz
PBS NewsHour

How renaming PCOS [Polycystic Ovary Syndrome] to PMOS [Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovary Syndrome] could improve care for millions of women

Challenging Organ-by-organ views of disease, including Neuro-Developmental and
​ Psychiatric Disorders

Summary

Beyond PCOS and neurodevelopmental/psychiatric disorders, strong examples of conditions re‑framed as multi‑system include Parkinson’s disease, psychosis and bipolar disorder, periodontitis, NAFLD/MAFLD, obesity, and sarcopenia.

Across these, shared themes are chronic inflammation, metabolic–immune–endocrine crosstalk, and overlapping comorbidities, challenging organ‑by‑organ views of disease. ​

What is the relationship between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Psyciatric Disorders?

]]><![CDATA[Oxford Professor Belinda Lennox, Auto-immune Psychosis and beyond --- Immune Involvement as a "common denominator" in Neurodevelopmental & Psychiatric Disorders]]>Fri, 29 May 2026 09:03:08 GMThttps://orchidadvocacy.org/translational-medicine-friday/oxford-professor-belinda-lennox-auto-immune-psychosis-and-beyond-immune-involvement-as-a-common-denominator-in-neurodevelopmental-psychiatric-disorders
Val's Take/Conjecture:
  • So there are currently RECOGNIZED TYPES of "AUTOIMMUNE PSYCHOSIS" --- see the Consensus AI Report below.  This represents a small but significant percentage of cases that our public health systems are not set up to identify.
  • Additionally, there is MIA --- MATERNAL IMMUNE ACTIVATION --- while not the sole cause of Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Disorders --- it is broadly relevant and important in a large percentage of cases.  ​
  • Further, there appears to be a general consensus that PATERNAL IMMUNE ACTIVATION --- is understudied and needs additional research.
 
  • When using a tool like Consensus AI that is SEMANTICALLY SENSITIVE --- it reveals inconsistencies in our understandings and conceptualizations from a LANGUAGE perspective.
 
  • ​Consensus AI is not prepared to say Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Disorders are generally Neuro-Immune Disorders, or even consistently have Neuro-Immune Mechanisms, but Consensus AI will say that the Immune Involvement is the COMMON DENOMINATOR.
 
  • Val's REAL INTELLIGENCE --- these inconsistencies are negatively affecting patient access to appropriate treatment and better outcomes.
​The British Neuropsychiatry Association
Oxford Professor Belinda Lennox

Autoimmune Psychosis and the Challenge for Psychiatry
Cont.
  • ​Further, I think concepts like the "EXPOSOME" --- the totality of exposures of all types --- and unique combinations --- helps to explain both the diversity and transdiagnostic character of Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Disorders.
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​What are examples of Autoimmune Psychosis?
​Does Maternal Immune Activation have Broad Relevance Across Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Disorders?
Is Paternal Immune Activation a newly emerging pathway with respect to Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Disorders that needs additional research?
​Is Immune Involvement a common denominator in Neurodevelopmental, Psychiatric and Neurodegenerative Disorders?
]]><![CDATA[MIA and Energy Demanding Hyper-connected brain Networks, a Compromised metabolic Foundation and Greater Risk for PsYchiatric problems]]>Sat, 16 May 2026 19:14:32 GMThttps://orchidadvocacy.org/translational-medicine-friday/mia-and-energy-demanding-hyper-connected-brain-networks-a-compromised-metabolic-foundation-and-greater-risk-for-psychiatric-problemsVal's Take/Conjecture
  • We need a Neuro-Immune Informed Understanding of Brain Development and how that impacts the LIFESPAN and MULTIPLE DOMAINS of the SOCIETY.
  • We often seem to have leaders across multiple domains with big strengths and big deficits.
​Hyperconnected or hub‑heavy network organization, even when compensatory, raises local energy demands and metabolic stress in precisely the regions critical for integration (Hillary & Grafman, 2017; Roy et al., 2017; Gasser et al., 2024; Deery et al., 2024; Palombit et al., 2022). • 
Conclusion

Research indicates that maternal immune activation programs long‑lasting mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and glucose and lipid abnormalities in offspring.

Separately, compensatory hyperconnectivity and hub‑centered network organization are metabolically costly, concentrating glucose use and stress in key brain regions.

The convergence of these processes implies that brains shaped by MIA may be forced to operate demanding, hyperconnected networks on an already compromised metabolic foundation, heightening risk for cognitive and psychiatric difficulties across the lifespan.
]]><![CDATA[A LIFESTYLE APPROACH WITHOUT AN UNDERSTANDING OF DOHaD CAN BE ABUSE]]>Sat, 16 May 2026 15:06:03 GMThttps://orchidadvocacy.org/translational-medicine-friday/a-lifestyle-approach-without-an-understanding-of-dohad-can-be-abuse
​​Val's Take/Conjecture
  • I just don't think we can say DIET and EXERCISE don't matter.  THEY MATTER A LOT.
  • BUT if we don't appreciate the DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGINS OF HEALTH and DISEASE, especially in DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS  ---
    • ​a lot of HARM is going to be done.
Resolving the Tension Between Traditional Diet and Exercise Recommendations and the Developmental Origins of Multiple Dysregulations in Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Disorders 
International DOHaD Talks 
Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
]]><![CDATA[Electronic Medical Records --- DNA Methylation records --- cheaper than full multi-omics -- but may not be sufficient]]>Fri, 15 May 2026 01:36:59 GMThttps://orchidadvocacy.org/translational-medicine-friday/electronic-medical-records-dna-methylation-records-cheaper-than-full-multi-omics-but-may-not-be-sufficient
Val's Take Conjecture:  One of the things that happened in our quest to understand many chronic diseases and certainly Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Disorders ---  the number of puzzle pieces increased exponentially and researchers found they need a "SYSTEMS BIOLOGY" approach to understand what's going on.
Summary

DNA methylation is emerging as a clinically useful biomarker and mechanistic window in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, and scores based on CpG panels can proxy some exposures, pathways, and risks.

However, current data show that methylation does not replace full multi‑omics; instead, it works best as one complementary layer integrated with genetics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and imaging.
Using DNA Methylation Substitutes for the full range of Multi-omics for Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders
Stanford Innovation Lab
Dr. Jessica Lasky-Su, DSc, MS (Harvard) 
Realizing Precision Medicine through multi-omics with EMRs

​Lasky-Su argues we want everything --- we may not be able to afford it.
Dr. Lasky-Su is an Associate Professor of Medicine and an Associate Statistician at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH).

With over two decades of experience, her research has concentrated on the analysis of genetics, genomics, and metabolomics data, particularly in relation to complex diseases such as asthma, allergies, and lung disease. A significant portion of Dr. Lasky-Su’s work has been dedicated to “integrative metabolomics,” which involves the integration of various omics disciplines with a metabolomics-centric perspective.

Her research encompasses a broad spectrum of disease outcomes, including cancers, respiratory and ocular conditions, infections, metabolic disorders, and neurodevelopmental/mental health issues.

She has also studied diverse exposures, such as air pollutants, PFAS, nutrition, and exercise. Dr. Lasky-Su has held several prominent leadership positions.

She is the immediate past president of the Metabolomics Society, the largest society of its kind globally, and the chairperson of the NIH’s Consortium of Metabolomics Studies (COMETS), the largest international consortium of prospective metabolomics cohorts.

Currently, she leads the RECOVER systems biology initiative through NHLBI, which utilizes multi-omic data to characterize Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC).

Throughout her career, Dr. Lasky-Su has trained over 25 postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have achieved successful academic careers, reaching ranks as high as Full Professor.

Her academic achievements are evidenced by her authorship of over 250 peer-reviewed publications and her delivery of more than 60 national and international talks.

Dr. Lasky-Su is an Associate Professor of Medicine and an Associate Statistician at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). With over two decades of experience, her research has concentrated on the analysis of genetics, genomics, and metabolomics data, particularly in relation to complex diseases such as asthma, allergies, and lung disease.

A significant portion of Dr. Lasky-Su’s work has been dedicated to “integrative metabolomics,” which involves the integration of various omics disciplines with a metabolomics-centric perspective.

Her research encompasses a broad spectrum of disease outcomes, including cancers, respiratory and ocular conditions, infections, metabolic disorders, and neurodevelopmental/mental health issues.

She has also studied diverse exposures, such as air pollutants, PFAS, nutrition, and exercise. Dr. Lasky-Su has held several prominent leadership positions.

She is the immediate past president of the Metabolomics Society, the largest society of its kind globally, and the chairperson of the NIH’s Consortium of Metabolomics Studies (COMETS), the largest international consortium of prospective metabolomics cohorts.

Currently, she leads the RECOVER systems biology initiative through NHLBI, which utilizes multi-omic data to characterize Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC).

Throughout her career, Dr. Lasky-Su has trained over 25 postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have achieved successful academic careers, reaching ranks as high as Full Professor.

Her academic achievements are evidenced by her authorship of over 250 peer-reviewed publications and her delivery of more than 60 national and international talks.

]]><![CDATA[Neuro-Immune Circuits and Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders]]>Fri, 15 May 2026 00:47:39 GMThttps://orchidadvocacy.org/translational-medicine-friday/neuro-immune-circuits-and-neuro-developmental-and-psychiatric-disordersConclusion​

​Neuro-immune circuits are not peripheral to brain disorders—they are deeply embedded in how neural networks develop, function, and fail.

​Dysregulated immune signaling (especially microglial activity, cytokines, complement, and maternal or gut-driven inflammation) is a common pathway that links diverse neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions and is a major target for future diagnostics and therapies.
What is the relationship between Neuro-Immune Circuits and Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Disorders
​MGH Martinos Center
BrainMap: Psychedelic rewiring of neuroimmune circuits in psychiatric disorders- Dr. Michael Wheeler (Harvard Medical School & Brigham & Women's Hospital)
]]><![CDATA[What is transdiagnostic, immune-stratified precision psychiatry?]]>Mon, 11 May 2026 12:13:27 GMThttps://orchidadvocacy.org/translational-medicine-friday/what-is-transdiagnostic-immune-stratified-precision-psychiatry
Val's Take/Conjecture
  • Transdiagnostic, Immune-Stratified Precision Psychiatry is rejecting the Diagnostic Manual of the American Psychiatric Association.
  • It is once again underlining the importance of a transdiagnostic perspective and the integral role of the IMMUNE SYSTEM in multiple psychiatric disorders.
  • It's also recognizing the importance of PRECISION MEDICINE --- ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL.
]]><![CDATA[Systems Biology, Neurodevelopment, and Psychiatry Beyond the Brain]]>Thu, 07 May 2026 16:50:44 GMThttps://orchidadvocacy.org/translational-medicine-friday/systems-biology-neurodevelopment-and-psychiatry-beyond-the-brain
​Val's Take/Conjecture:  This is the 2nd video I've posted from the Institute for Systems Biology.

One of the things that has happened with respect to Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders is that we're understanding them beyond the BRAIN and the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.
Relationships Among Systems Biology and Neurodevelopmental & Psychiatric Disorders Beyond the Brain & Central Nervous System
Institute for Systems Biology
Microbiota-Regulated Immune Pathways in Early Life and Pregnancy -- Dr. Melody Zeng (Weill Cornell Medicine) ​
​It's not that the BRAIN and CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM aren't involved but they may be involved in ways we didn't appreciate ---AND it's that many other systems of the body are involved as well, including:
  • The Immune System
  • The Microbiome
  • The Endocrine System
  • The Metabolism
  • And for some of us other systems such as the SKELETAL SYSTEM and BONE DISORDERS, or more of the NERVOUS SYSTEM such as the EYES, or HYPER-MOBILITY and the AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM.
For a lot of complex Chronic Conditions such as Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders, Auto-Immune Disorders, Cancer, etc. ---- A SYSTEMS BIOLOGY APPROACH IS NEEDED TO UNRAVEL THEIR COMPLEXITY.
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