Lorenzo's Oil is the true life story of Augusto and Micheala Odone (portrayed by Nick Nolte and Susan Saradon) who are suddenly faced with the challenge of their child, Lorenzo, being stricken with Adrenoleulzodystrophy (ALD). The film chronicles the affects of the disease and their desperate search for a cure. ALD is an extremely diabilatating neurodegenerative disease that destroys the lipids that form the myelin sheaths of axons in the brain. This reduces the connectivity of the neurons of the brain. It is X-linked recessive, and is fatal in many cases. It mostly affects males, but has been shown to manifest in females. ALD is caused by a mutation in ABCD1, a gene located on the X-chromosome. The disease can cause blindness, paralysis, sexual dysfunction, and dementia.
The film begins with Lorenzo as a normal, active 5 year old boy. He suddenly begins to demonstrate neurological problems such as erratic behavior, loss of hearing, and seizures. He is eventually diagnosed with ALD and given a life expectancy of 2 years. Lorenzo's condition rapidly deteriorates, leading to him completely losing his sight, hearing, and his ability to speak.
Despite his dire prognosis, the Odones fiercely search for a cure, culling through endless amounts of scientific research. They eventually find a therapy that involves a mixture of oils isolated from rapeseed oil and olive oil that contain 2 specific long chain fatty acids. They contact over 100 firms to attempt to find a company who can synthesize this oil. They find a British chemist who is willing to perform the complicated distillation of the oil, which is later to be found to be erucic acid. Their discovery retards the progression of Lorenzo's ALD and even helps him regain his hearing and some cognitive faculties. Despite its positive effects, erucic acid, later named Lorenzo's Oil, is not able to rebuild Lorenzo's deteriorated myelin sheaths. The film ends with a montage of real-life ALD suvivors who have been treated with Lorenzo's Oil. Lorenzo's Oil is still used today, in conjunction with other methods (stem cell research, gene therapy), as a treatment option for ALD.
I had to watch this film back and high school and write a report on it. I didn’t remember the science behind it so your blog helped clarify a lot. This movie was so heartbreaking but also amazing. I loved watching a Mother’s love go above and beyond to find a cure for her son. Even though it didn’t help her son it helped others. I think it’s amazing to see the evolution of cures from back then to now. Good job!
ReplyDeleteVery entertaining and informative post! I had never heard of ALD prior to this post, but I am always touched and saddened when reading about people suffering from debilitating diseases/disorders, especially children. I find it amazing that from such a bleak situation, this boy and his parents were able to hold on with hope and search for help, which ultimately led to the development of an aid in treating this condition.
ReplyDeleteI remember you telling me about this film earlier this week while in lab. Despite never seeing Lorenzo's Oil, the storyline sounds quite interesting. I found your post to be entertaining and insightful.
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