Research on stem cell therapy in Autistic Disorders
An investigation into stem cell therapy for the treatment of autistic children offers hopeful results. This is evidenced by a recent study published in the medical edition STEM CELLS.
The research of The Duke University was conducted with 25 young children with autism. It was determined whether a transfusion with own umbilical cord blood could help treat developmental disorder. In this umbilical cord blood are rare stem cells that can change into neurons. Autism appears to be associated with poorly functioning mirror neurons.
Results of autistic research in children
In 70 percent of the children there was an improvement in behavior. "Some children, who did not say much before, had a lot of advances in vocabulary and speech functionality," said researcher Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg. "Many children were able to play and engage in meaningful conversations, in a way they could not. Some children showed less repetitive behavior than at the beginning of the study. "
Further research for autistic disorders in children
However, the researchers and other experts emphasize that therapy is still in the early stages, and that more research is needed. A major follow-up study is under way and researchers hope to discover a long-term treatment for autism.
The previous experiment was an investigation into the safety of stem cell therapy. The doctors and families of the children were thus aware of the therapy and there was no comparison between treated and untreated children.
"The research was very encouraging. We saw positive results but did not have a control group. This is very important in determining whether treatment is actually effective, "concludes Dr. Geraldine Dawson, researcher.