Treatment of Autism with Stem Cells in Children

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Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder influenced by both genetics and environmental factors. According to the World Health Association, the prevalence rate of autism is about 1 in 100 children, which either reflects increasing cases or improvement in public awareness and public health sectors across the globe.

Autism behavioral signs can be either of the following two:

1. Early onset pattern, where the child shows social and communication deficits during the early developmental stage.
2. Regressive pattern, where the child normally develops for the first few years and then experiences a massive decline in early developmental skills.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is untreatable as it involves a group of disorders pertaining to social, behavioral, and communication issues. However, recent advancements in cell-based therapies have proven stem cells to be a potential therapeutic approach for treating core symptoms of ASD.

Stem cells are types of cells with a potential therapeutic modality for treating neurological conditions via self-renewal and differentiation into multiple cell lineages, including nervous tissue.

Let’s take a look at the causes and symptoms of autism and the potential benefits of stem cell treatment in providing sustainable results for the disorder.

A child with autism: causes and symptoms

ASD is a neurobiological disorder with an unknown etiology; however, scientists believe the cause could be a combination of genetics and environmental triggers.

Genetic factors

Genetics plays a crucial role in the onset of ASD, as several genes are linked to the disorder. Families with a history of autism are most likely to pass it on to the next generations.

Environmental factors

Several environmental factors can also trigger ASD among children. These can be prenatal and perinatal factors such as infections during pregnancy, deadly exposure to environmental toxins, and pregnancy complications. Moreover, prenatal exposure to thalidomide and valproic acid has also been associated with an increased risk of onsetting autism.

Symptoms of autism

This can affect an individual in several ways; however, some of the common symptoms of ASD can include:

• difficulty in social communications;
• repetitive and restricted behaviors;
• difficulty in social interactions;
• sensory sensitivities;
• limited interests.

It’s important to know that these signs may vary from person to person, and no two autistic individuals can have the exact same symptoms.

Management of autism with stem cells

For their paracrine, immunomodulatory, homing, and multidirectional differentiation capacity, stem cells have shown potential as a therapeutic approach towards managing ASD symptoms.

In ASD patients, stem cells help modulate the immune system by suppressing the immune response and inflammations while promoting tissue repair and regeneration.