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I noted a few days ago that causes for autism seem to proliferate like wildflowers: Look away for one moment and there is another one springing up. It is the same with treatments for autism; perhaps it would not be unuseful to feature an “autism treatment of the week,” if only to underscore how many there seem to be. The latest is stem cell therapy, as noted in a July 11th Business Wire press release: “The Institute for Cellular Medicine (www.cellmedicine.com) announced today what appears to be the first publication in a peer reviewed journal outlining scientific rationale for the use of stem cells in the treatment of autism.” The Institute for Cellular Medicine has a clinic in Mexico; its director, Dr. Frank Morales, is listed as “board certified” in “Hyperbaric Medicine” and “Oxidative Medicine,” both of which are connected to some “alternative” and unproven treatments for autism. Dr. Morales is one of the authors of an article, Autism Stem Cell Therapy, which was published in the June 27th Journal of Translational Medicine.
Or, if not to Mexico for stem cell treatment, you can go to China: The July 2nd Wall Street Journal reported on parents who are taking their autistic children to China for stem-cell injections at a cost of $10,000. (The article is only available via subscription; a WSJ blog contains a summary of the article.)
Dozens of foreigners a month, many of them children, have been flying to a handful of hospitals in China, seeking stem-cell injections for a variety of conditions. There is no widely accepted scientific evidence that the procedures work or are even safe. Nonetheless, desperate patients are spending thousands of dollars, hoping to find cures for brain injuries, cerebral palsy and even autism — a developmental disorder with uncertain origins and a range of symptoms, from the failure to develop language skills to the inability to sense the feelings of others.
Some stem cells have the potential to turn into different cells, including muscle, blood and brain cells, leading scientists to believe that they may be useful in treating medical disorders. In the U.S., embryonic stem cells have been hugely controversial because researchers must destroy a days-old human embryo to harvest them. Chinese doctors use different, more mature stem cells from umbilical-cord blood, brain tissue of aborted fetuses and other sources.
These types of treatments aren’t allowed in the U.S. The National Institutes of Health supports research on adult and embryonic stem cells as therapy for a variety of disorders, but Naomi Kleitman, program director for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, notes that the cells “are still being investigated at a basic level in animal models.”
Last March, Bruce Dobkin, the medical director at the neurologic rehabilitation and research program at the University of California, Los Angeles, published a report in a peer-reviewed medical journal on the work of a Chinese spinal-cord researcher who has offered stem-cell therapies to foreigners for years. Dr. Dobkin’s study said none of the seven spinal-injury patients who were observed experienced significant improvements, and five suffered potentially dangerous complications.
The article profiles the experience of Christina Bogert of San Jose, CA, an aerospace engineer for Lockheed Martin Corp; in June 2006, she took her 10-year-old autistic son Douglas to receive five injections at a hospital in Shenzhen, a city not far from Hong Kong.
After the month of injections, Ms. Bogert and Doug waited for their flight home in Hong Kong’s airport. Doug was running circles around his mother. Somehow, he had lost his shoes. Ms. Bogert was hopeful the treatments would help, but unsure if they would return for more. “I’ve played guinea pig so many times with my kid already,” she said. “I don’t really want to do it again.”
Back home in San Jose, Calif., she watched her son’s behavior closely, looking for hints of progress. There were some hopeful signs. Doug’s handwriting, which used to be barely legible, began to improve, according to his mother. When his parents tried to teach him his telephone number, they figured they would have to break it into three parts. But the first time they showed him the number in full, they say, he memorized it immediately.
But since these “encouraging surprises,” Bogert has not seen any progress and does not plan a return trip to China. And I’m wondering what will be the next headline-making “cure-all treatment” for autism?
Hello, Im an Australian working for Life Stem Cell Group in China. We have many patients from around the world come to see us for Stem Cell Treatment – with exciting results. We use adult stem cells to treat patients as these are safe. I would be happy to share any information if you are a parent exploring this option for your children.
rebecca.rick@lifestemcellgroup.com
Listen up! This is the coolest article ever! I’d like to be a stem cell researcher when i grow up :)
fertility
The tone of this article is totally wrong. For parents with autistic kids, any methods worth a try, old or new. Stem cell therapy is one of the most promising approaches today. We should invest more into this new approach!
I have a 4year old son who ia autist am also interested in the stem cell therapy can anyone who has any information on these and recommend a good doctor who can do it.
Regards,
Lillian.
Christina, can you please share some more progress about your child with us. thank you.
To Dianna
Its been some time since your blog about stem cell treatment, have you learned anything or maybe even had any treatment done. Would love to hear from you.
Hello ! I work for Americord Registry, a cord blood bank. Please look out for our upcoming Cord Advantage product launch that saves many more stem cells as compared to cord blood banking alone. Also, we have better pricing than most of our competitors. http://www.cordadvantage.com
Throughout our lives however, we have cells that remain very unspecialized. The renewal of our skin, for example, is an ongoing process and continues until we die. Injuries heal. Hair grows. We live with cells which are very unspecialized, can continue to divide as we go through life and help our body to regenerate and repair itself. Stemcell treatment Germany
Your article does not mention the use of adult stem cells derived from either skin cells or fat cells or bone marrow — all coming from the patient to decrease the risk of rejection. Embryonic stem cells have increased the chance of cancerous tumors — not so for stem cells coming from the patient. While I am waiting for the procedure to be perfected, I believe there is a ton of hope here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDFJOzu9SyM
We are dedicated to promoting Hyperbaric oxygen Therapy for Autism in India. Ask us for details
Please let me know about the hyperbaric oxygen treatment for autism
You apparently do not have a child with autism! To have witnessed your Childs voice and to HFCs it disappear after vaccinations! These are troubling observations that patents must live with! And for every new treatment there is hope of re gaining your child back! thanks for your sarcasm but we parents really don’t care for them ! Stick to the facts please and not your opinion!
Dianne,
I have a child with ASD just like you. We tried stem cell treatment and it has shown good changes in my child.
where did you take your child for stem cell research?
hello jan, can you please share any info about stem cell.I have 7yrs son with autism. I want to go for stem cell but nobody want to help even doctors in canada.
My 3 yr old son has been diagnosed with Autism. We have banked his cord blood and I would like to know the risk of using these stem cells to treat him. I believe his autism was caused by the 6 months of antibiotics he took from 6-12 months old for chronic ear infections. I’ve tried emailing anyone I can find that would have some knowledge, finding no leads, but am still trying…
Dilajen, your son’s story is identical to mine.
hemasaravanan, I have a son who needs help. could you give me details?
Hi, I have an 8 year old beautiful boy. Diagnosed with Autism at 4 1/2
He was born with no complications two weeks early, started walking unassisted at 11 months and reached all necessary milestones. At 18 months he started to wear nappies only at bed time. (He would see his older brother use the toilet and he would want to as well).
He loved playing games with us and would get excited when other children would come to play. He would sit in at kindergarten with his brother and enjoy taking part in activities.
He knew the alphabet and could name the letters even when they were not in order. When I named the animals he would make the noises. He could point to things and could follow simple instructions, eg; where are your shoes?
He would play hide and seek with his grandfather and understood both Greek and English.
We had no problems or any reason to doubt his development. However,
When he was 18 months he was immunised. He had a very bad reaction, for over a week he had temperatures over 40, we were at the hospital every day and the doctors just kept on sending us home. He became very lethargic,did not move from the couch and lost his appetite.
Once this episode was over he was never the same. For the following months instead of gaining words he started loosing them, he then started wearing nappies all the time. He lost his smile and eventually lost all eye contact and words. He could no longer say ‘mummy’. His face was like a blank canvas.
By the time he was 3, my baby was never the same.
For the last 3 1/2 years we have done early intervention, speech therapy, OT, changed his diet, Kinesiology, and attends an Autistic based school.
He loves playing computer games; he can master a new game within seconds without needing to refer to instructions. Another interest of his is cars. He loves to film them on his camera and show us.
He does have some words now and limited eye contact, however, I have to force him to look at us and use his words. We have a long way to go to get him back to what he was before he got sick.
We are investigating whether a stem cell transplant can help him.
If anyone can help me with their advice or if they have treated their child to let me know of progress.
Much appreciated.
Dianne (located in Australia)
Hi Dianne, I’m wondering how is your son doing and what progress has he made so far since you wrote this opinion about autism, We have a 3 year old autistic boy and have done exactly what you did about early intervention and therapies, equinotherapy,etc, with some improvements, however his hyperactivity is amazing and hard to cope with or control sometimes, I would love to exchange opinions, know your opinion or maybe get any good tips and feedback about your own experience that can help my boy, the latest news about treatments is stem cell treatments which I have no idea if it might work or not.
Hope to get your opinion back to us to exchange some view points, I strongly believe that immunizations get to have something to do with autism, my baby did not have any symptoms at 1 1/2 years, but after some vaccinations something was missing. Thanks and good luck.
The Guerra Family in Chicago.
hello,
I am mother of a cerebral palsy child who got bone marrow stem cell injections. and improved in his speech tremendously, because of seizures he couldnt make out to walk but know trying to do so. So dont lose hopes on stem cell therapy because it is the only solution for all brain damaged children. Dont leave those children without treating with stemcells. there are improvements which are seen in recent world.Therapy itself would work good for the child. So please dont leave the child only with therapy, do something very recently developed for good of the child.
Embroyonic Stem cells are a hoax. The real cures are with Adult Stem Cells.
http://www.recoveringMatthew.blogspot.com
why did US Govt lock the Doors of Embroyonic Stemcell Research which will lead to cure those millions of innocent Americans with non-curable Diseases under current Medical standards. I wish people who are against Embroyonic Stemcell Research to suffer those terminally ill diseases to understand & feel the pain of others. I hope, oneday these ruthless Pharma companies fearing about loosing their Drug sales due to stem-cell therapy,stupid politicians fearing about votes due to stem-cell support and Ignorant/ruthless religious fanatics will be thrown out to pave a way to Stem-cell research.
I don’t think God is against using Stem Cell to cure many diseases. I read Bible and did not any words is aginst Stem Cell research.
Seriously Concerned how dare you say the things you have said.
My son Matthew is recovering from autism thru Adult Stem Cells from cord blood. We have been to the clinic in Costa Rica in Feb 2008 and June 2008 and think they are the greatest Drs we have ever met. You can watch all of our news stories and read our blog at http://www.recoveringMatthew.blogspot.com
http://www.recoveringMatthew.blogspot.com