PITTSBURGH, April 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United
Mitochondrial Disease Foundation released the following statement from its
executive director and CEO, Chuck Mohan, in light of the National Vaccine
Advisory Committee's (NVAC) meeting of its Vaccine Safety Working Group and
recent published reports of possible links between mitochondrial disorders
and autism.



    "Recent published reports about the potential links between
mitochondrial disorders and autism demonstrate the urgent need for more
research into mitochondrial disease, a devastating and often fatal illness.



    "Mitochondrial dysfunction has also been implicated in Alzheimer's
Dementia, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, heart disease and
diabetes.



    "Mitochondrial disease is not rare. Researchers estimate that every 15
minutes a child is born with mitochondrial disease or will be diagnosed
with mitochondrial disease by the age of 10. Most affected children do not
live beyond their teenage years.



    "The National Institutes of Health currently spends about $11.8 million
on research into mitochondrial-related research -- with only about one
third of that earmarked for primary mitochondrial disease research. That is
less than 1/1000 of one percent of NIH's $29B annual budget. That is why
the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation supports the effort by the
National Institutes of Health to place mitochondrial disease research on an
NIH roadmap.



    "Mitochondrial disease deprives the body of energy making it difficult
to function properly. It can affect any organ of the body and at any age.
The brain may be impaired, vision may be dim, muscles may twitch or may be
too weak to allow the body to walk or write, the heart may be weakened, and
the ability to eat and digest food can be compromised.



    "Finding the cause of and cure for mitochondrial disease would not only
alleviate the suffering of families around the world, it would also unlock
the door to a world of scientific knowledge and could help lead the way to
possible treatments for many other diseases."

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