Treatment options - experiences and considerations

[THC800]

Hello everyone! Has anyone ever tried the stem cell institute in Panama? My husband and I have done extensive research on the use of umbilical stem cells to treat autism. Based on the outcomes of the Duke University trials since 2005, the results give me some hope.

I realize that there are a lot of 'miracle' treatments out there that don't help and can even be harmful.
And FYI, there is a center in Israel called C.A.T. C.A.T. Center - Customized Autism Treatment with Supplements that is a fraud. I inquired with them to see what they are about, and they initially claimed that they could help my son. Then they made the point of asking my and my husband's professions. When they were told my husband was in the medical field, all of the sudden they changed their tune out of nowhere and said "well, we don't think our treatment would be effective and would be too expensive for you". When I asked for an explanation as to why it wouldn't be effective, they did not reply. The fact is, if they specialize in helping autistic children, why could they suddenly not help my son, who is classically moderately autistic with no comorbid disorders? And how could they even know if we could afford it? All a lie. Beware, most centers are a scam.

 

[Rodafina]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

What symptoms of autism are you hoping that stem cell therapy can change?

What do expect it could do for your son?

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Pulling up the two most recent reviews on the topic suggest that there can be improvements made in certain metrics. Having said that, researchers appear to be cautious with interpreting results at this time due to the fact that no established protocols have been made. It's still "the Wild West" out there, at least in 2024. Make note NO study has suggested this is a "cure", but rather suggested "improvements" in certain metrics, which, depending upon the child, may be significant in terms of their daily living with the condition, or not.

Autism is highly complex. Over 100 familial genes. Over 1000 epigenetic gene markers. Over 2000 RNA markers. It involves serotonin, dopamine, glutamine, GABA, vasopressin, cortisol, oxytocin production, transport, binding, and turnover. It involves nearly every part of the brain in terms of the micro-anatomy, conductivity, and connectivity. To be certain, the behavioral component is secondary.

The areas of the brain affected by autism start at the brain stem level. That alone suggests that autism begins very early in the 1st trimester of pregnancy. The mid brain structures, the thalamus, the cerebellum are affected (2nd trimester) and the cortex (3rd trimester). By the time a baby is born at term gestation (40 weeks) the brain is pretty well developed already. In other words, autism is a prenatal condition. By the time a baby is born, what is done is done in terms of the core autism anatomy and physiology. I am not convinced that introducing stem cells into a child, years later, would have a significant impact.

Furthermore, the typical life span of a brain cell is 90 years. In order for stem cell therapy to work effectively, you are talking about using it in infants. It's not like using stem cells to treat a skin condition where the average life span of a skin cell is around 7 days. Apples and oranges. Stem cells need to be introduced to the brain while it is in its active growth period. If you injected stem cells into someone like me, a 58 year old, you might help me with my arthritis, aging cardiovascular system, etc. but probably not my brain in terms of my autism symptoms. It may help with age-related dementia in terms of slowing the progression.

My son is a professor at a large Michigan university doing research on stem cells, creating new bio identical organs, etc. There is a lot of very encouraging data coming out using stem cells to treat many conditions and for organ replacement. However, I cannot emphasize this enough, it is all new enough that there are no established "standards of care" or protocols for therapy.

You take your chances.


Cell therapies for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review of clinical applications - Middle East Current Psychiatry

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Therapy in Improving Clinical Outcomes for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine

 

[THC800]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

What symptoms of autism are you hoping that stem cell therapy can change?

What do expect it could do for your son?

As a minimum, I would like to see my son's screaming, tantrums, and frequent stimming to decrease.
From there, our hope for him to be able use functional language rather than just labeling, so that he can interact with the world and people around him. We love him and want to help him have a high functioning life if possible. I realize there is no 'cure'.