Revolutionizing Autism Care: The Impact of Stem Cell Treatments
Stem Cell Treatment offers hope, with studies showing stem cell therapy can slow or reverse core symptoms of autism.
Stem Cell Treatment offers hope, with studies showing stem cell therapy can slow or reverse core symptoms of autism.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting the social and cognitive functions of many children that has limited curative treatment options, with most only focusing on alleviating the present symptoms and improving daily functionality. Stem Cell Treatment however offers hope, with studies showing stem cell therapy can slow or reverse core symptoms of autism.
Stem cells are cells that are “pluripotent”, meaning they can differentiate into all other cells due to their self-renewing abilities. They can develop into ectodermal (ex. skin and some neurological structures), mesodermal (ex. bones, cartilages, and blood cells), or endodermal cells (ex. cells of internal body organs). Therefore, injecting stem cells should theoretically allow them to differentiate and “replace” the damaged neurons due to the brain insult predisposing to autism. However, following extensive testing of stem cell treatment on people with autism, in addition to their self-renewing abilities, stem cells have proven to have additional benefits other than tissue replacement; including:
• Replacing and repairing the damaged neurons: As mentioned, this is their original function; to replace the damaged tissue by conversion of one cell type to another.
• Increasing the production of neurotrophic factors that promote nervous cell proliferation and differentiation (ex. glia-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)). These factors can locally enhance cellular recruitment, proliferation, and maturation within the damaged or affected brain area.
• Modulating the immune system and the ongoing inflammatory process – thereby reducing the ongoing neurodestructive process causing characteristic symptoms of autism.
• Promoting vascular supply to the nervous system by stimulating the generation of new blood vessels (neovascularization/angiogenesis) through stimulating different vascular stimulating growth factors (ex. VEGF)conversion of one cell type to another
Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy in Autism
Studies testing stem cell therapy in people with autism have reported that the use of stem cell therapy in autistic people has shown improvement in :
Visible improvements on functional brain imaging techniques were also seen, with the brains of autistic people showing better nutrient uptake following stem cell transplantation – indicating better brain connectivity and performance following stem cell therapy.
What is stem cell therapy?
Stem cells are special because they’re undifferentiated, meaning they have the potential to become many types of specialized cells.
You might think of stem cells as natural resources for your body. When your body needs a specific type of cell — from bone cells to brain cells — an undifferentiated stem cell can transform to fit the need.
Because millions of cells in our bodies die and become damaged each day, they need to be constantly replaced. This is the body’s natural repair process, which is how injuries heal and how we recover from diseases.
All cells—regardless of function—are created from one special type of cell—a stem cell. Through a process called differentiation, a stem cell divides into two cells. That second “daughter” cell can be another stem cell or other type of new cell.
Normally the body has enough stem cells to support the need to generate new cells. But there are various reasons why there may not be enough stem cells available to replace cells needed to promote healing and fight diseases. Cell therapy has attracted the interest of the scientific community because new research and studies show that treatment with various types of cells can help supplement the body to use its own stem cells to improve the regenerative process and promote healing.
All cells—regardless of function—are created from stem cells that have the potential to differentiate into specific cells in various organs or tissues through a natural development of growth process.
Indeed, stem cells work as part of the body’s natural “repair team” to replace the many different types of cells in the various structures, organs, and tissues.
If you burn your skin, your body turns stem cells into new skin cells.
If you’re fighting an infection, your body turns stem cells into new immune cells.
And if the cartilage tissue in a joint deteriorates, your body turns stem cells into new cartilage cells.
There are three main types of stem cells:
• Embryonic stem cells: These cells are pluripotent, meaning they can transform into the many types of cells found in your body. As the name suggests, they’re found in embryos.
• Somatic stem cells: Also called adult stem cells, these mostly perform repair functions. They can still transform, but not into as many types of specialized cells as embryonic stem cells can.
• Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs): These stem cells are made by genetically changing cells that have already matured.
Stem cell therapy is the use of stem cells — usually from a donor, but sometimes from your own body — to treat a disorder.
Although stem cells are theoretically obtained from many
tissues and organs, in present, the most widely used sources
in treatment-purposed stem cell applications are; bone marrow,
umbilical cord, joint fluid or membrane, and umbilical adipose tissue.
How Are Stem Cells Produced
in the Laboratory Environment?
Stem cells are produced in the laboratory using a (autologous) biopsy sample taken from the patient’s own tissue related to the disease.
First of all, the relevant cells are isolated from this biopsy sample and multiplied by being fed continuously and undergoing detailed controls under appropriate conditions.
Another method is the production of cells from another donor (allogeneic), for example from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby, by culturing and propagating under GMP conditions.
Visible improvements on functional brain imaging techniques were also seen, with the brains of autistic people showing better nutrient uptake following stem cell transplantation – indicating better brain connectivity and performance following stem cell therapy.