Script

Intro Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpHqIuFD0h4

Intro: introduce selves, introduce Dr. Teh Seris

Daniel: Welcome, welcome listeners to the The Dinner Club Podcast. I’m you host, DJ
Augustin. I’m here with my co-host, Vane.
Vanessa: Hello world!
Daniel: So, Vane, what exactly are we talking about today?
Vanessa: On this podcast, we’re going to be talking about Aspergers Syndrome.
Daniel: Oh! That sounds like as* burgers
Vanessa: Let’s not. I know what you’re thinking.
Daniel: Fine. So Vane, what exactly is Aspergers Syndrome?
Vanessa: We know that it’s a form of autism and its relatively rare. It is also a chronic
disease. However, in order to figure out more, we need an expert on the subject.
Daniel: What a coincidence! We actually have a doctor all the way from the Philippines
on call here right now. We're now introducing our guest star, Dr. Tee Seris. Doctor, are
you there?
Derek: *incomprehensible shouting in background, mic is fiddled with, clears throat* Yes
I am. Thank you, DJ Augustin for having me.
Daniel: Great! You’re smart, doctor. You’ve done research on Aspergers for a while.
Explain to us, what exactly is Aspergers?

Topic 1: What is it and history

● Autism spectrum
● <200,000 cases a year
● Chronic
Daniel: So it’s a lesser form of autism?
Derek: Yes. Vane was correct.
Daniel: What’s it’s history? When did people start talking about this thing?
● First described by Viennese pediatrician named Hans Asperger in 1940s
● Uta Frith, professor in London, described it as “having a dash of autism”
● Added to “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” in 1994 as separate
disorder
● People still thought that it was a mild form of autism
● In 2013, DSM-5 placed Autism and Aspergers under ASD

Vanessa: What else do we know about this disease? What are the symptoms of victims
who get it?
Topic 2: Risk factors and symptoms
● Signs usually begin at 2 years old
● Brain is affected by disorder
● Neuron firing is reduced
 ● Neurol inflammation is more common
● Children with parents who have an Aspergers gene are more likely to have it
● Genes and exposure to chemicals during pregnancy increase risk
● More common in males than females
Vanessa: That doesn’t mean that females don’t get it, right?
Derek: No. Females can get it as well.
Daniel: What are the symptoms? You never expanded on that.
● Socially awkward
● Generally have a specific subject in which they have an extreme passion
● Restricted interests in other subjects besides extreme passion
● High levels of perseverance
● Very good at recognizing small details and patterns
● May be hypersensitive to lights, sounds, tastes, and it may lead to clumsiness
● Can dislike change
● Struggle making eye contact, sometimes talk in a monotone voice
● Struggle talking to peers, can talk to adults

Daniel: Well, thank you doctor for talking about this terrible disease today. We’ll have a
brief message from our sponsors, then we’ll introduce our next guest speaker.

Intermission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tV1maIR1jo

Intro 2: return, introduce Professor Peyu Dee Pi

Daniel: Welcome back, listeners. Is anyone hungry? That ad made me hungry and I just
ate!
Vanessa: That’s enough, Augustin. We still have to talk about the science behind
Aspergers.
Daniel: It looks like the next guest speaker is on the call with us. All the way from North
Korea!
Vanessa: You mean South Korea. He’s from Busan.
Daniel: Same thing. From Korea, please welcome Professor Peyu Dee Pi. Can you hear
us, professor?
Andy: *clears throat* Yes I can. Can you hear me?
Vanessa and Daniel: Yes.
Daniel: Welcome to the podcast. How do you feel?
Andy: Wait this is a podcast? What am I doing here? I thought this was a business
opportun-

Daniel: *coughs to interrupt* So, can you describe the science behind Aspergers? We
know the symptoms and causes, but what about all that cell-y stuff? The proteins and
other molecules? Isn’t mitochondria the powerhouse of the cell?
Andy: Yes, but mitochondria doesn’t have anything to do with Asperger's syndrome.
(begin explaining)
Topic 3: Proteins and science
 ● Explain normal translation
2 major steps. In the cell nucleus, DNA becomes mRNA via transcription. Then, mRNA
goes through the cytoplasm to the ribosome to make the protein. This is called
translation.
● Change in levels of eIF4E
● Happens in cytoplasm/rough ER
● Regulate translation and protein synthesis
● Initiates translation by binding with mRNA
● Increase in eIF4E leads to increase of Neuroligin 1, or NLGN1
● This increase of NLGN1 leads to abnormal brain function
● (Insert visual cues and explain what it is briefly) If you have the video version of this
podcast, you can look below and see the DNA sequences and a 3D model of the
protein
● (Insert 3D model of protein)

Daniel: So because of an increase in EIF4E proteins, NLGN1 levels increase, causing the
symptoms of Aspergers?
Andy: That is correct.
Vanessa: So we know all the proteins involved and risk factors and symptoms. Sounds
like you know a lot. But, what are the treatments? Why hasn’t this been fully cured yet?
Topic 4: Treatments and the future (mention the Belgian woman)

● All types of therapy including cognitive behavioral and speech-language therapy, social-
skills training
● Medication (affecting levels of chemicals, lowering the symptoms for a period of time
● Full cure probably impossible as since Asperger’s is a type of autism and we have no
cure of yet
● Not a life-threatening disease, so less funding because less need to cure it and it is
relatively rare
Vanessa: Thank you, professor, for giving us so much knowledge. Is there anything else
going on with Aspergers right now?
● There is new research on Asperger’s Syndrome in which scientists have linked the gene
GABRB3 with Asperger’s, hopefully, this will lead to more information on cures for this
disease

Conclusion:

Daniel: Thank you, professor, for explaining this syndrome. And thank you to the doctor
from earlier for explaining parts of the syndrome too.
Vanessa: Listeners, I hope you’ve learned something about Aspergers.
Daniel: It looks like we're out of time so we’re going to end this podcast here. See you
tomorrow!
Vanessa: And remember, stay curious!

Outro Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vVSBLkpO-8

KEEP PODCAST
UNDER 10 MINUTES
Sources for research
https://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/mental-health-aspergers-syndrome#1
https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-asperger-syndrome
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4161164/
https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/study-supports-flawed-protein-synthesis-theory-of-autism/
https://www.gstatic.com/healthricherkp/pdf/asperger_syndrome.pdf
http://www.autism-society.org/what-is/aspergers-syndrome/

Music videos and Pizza hut ad video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpHqIuFD0h4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tV1maIR1jo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vVSBLkpO-8