The Effects of Synergistic Toxicities and Genetic Susceptibilities on the Toxic Effects of Inorganic and Organic Mercury Compounds: The Relationship to Autism and Related Disorders

Data now exists that strongly indicates that there is a genetic subset of the human population that is unable to effectively excrete mercury from low level exposures. This leads to a retention toxicity in this subset at levels of exposure that is easily excreted by the bulk of the healthy population. Autistic children seem to fit into this subset. Current compounds being used to "chelate" mercury from the body (e.g., DMPS, DMSA, glutathione, EDTA) are not very effective. We will describe a new type of approach that has the possibility to provide for better and safer treatment for mercury toxic individuals. This new approach using a potent antioxidant has been proven by our laboratory, and confirmed by another commercial toxicity testing laboratory, not to be toxic at levels about 1,000 times the levels that would be used in treatment therapies. The data on these compounds will be presented.

Boyd Haley, PhD received his PhD in Chemistry/Biochemistry at Washington State University. He was an NIH Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Physiology, Yale University Medical School. His first academic appointment was at the University of Wyoming where he was promoted to full professor. In 1985 he was hired by the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center with academic appointments as professor in the College of Pharmacy and in the Department of Biochemistry. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Chemistry/Biochemistry in the Department of Chemistry and served as Chair of this department from 1996 to 2005. Dr. Haley was a founder and is the scientific advisor of ALT Biosciences, Inc., a biotech company that synthesizes and markets to major research institutes nucleotide photoaffinity analogs for biomedical research.
In the past 23 years Dr. Haley has emphasized studies on the biochemistry of Alzheimer's disease. His research in the biochemical aberrancies in Alzheimer's disease also lead to his identifying mercury toxicity as a major exacerbating factor, perhaps even a causal factor for this disease. He was one of the first to propose that the organic-mercury preservative (thimerosal) in vaccines was the most likely toxic agent involved in Gulf War Syndrome and autism related disorders. He has followed this up with research that demonstrates that several additional factors (Al3+, certain antibiotics), including testosterone, increase the toxicity of thimerosal. Further, in collaboration with others he has shown using mercury analysis of birth-hair that autistics represent a subset of the population that cannot excrete mercury effectively.
Dr. Haley has testified before numerous government agencies at the federal and state levels on the effects of mercury toxicity from dental amalgams and vaccines.