Therapeutics are needed to ameliorate neurobehavioral symptoms of developmental lead poisoning.

Developmental lead poisoning is a global problem and requires a global effort to remedy the environment and its effect on children. Until environmental lead is eliminated, therapeutics should be developed to alleviate symptoms of developmental lead poisoning. Memory and learning require adaptive oligodendrogenesis and neomyelination. Lead poisoning causes memory and learning deficits by targeting oligodendroglia lineage cells as well as other cells of the central nervous system. Though the etiologies of the various diseases and conditions that exhibit memory deficits being considered for treatment with pro-oligodendrogenesis therapeutics are different, the affected individuals share with those who have developmental lead intoxication the common symptoms of memory and cognitive deficits. Yet, unlike these maladies, there have not been any reports of studies exploring the use of pro-oligodendrogenesis drugs to ameliorate the memory/learning deficits in pediatric lead poisoning. The public health and science communities should recognize the consequence of developmental lead poisoning on society and deliver relief to the affected children with a low cost oral drug while maintaining the long term goal of ridding the planet of environmental lead contamination.