Stem Cell Institute is the website title I selected and its address is https://www.cellmedicine.com/stem-cell-therapy-for-autism/. The mesenchymal stem cell is the therapy offered by the website and is used to treat autism. Mesenchymal stem cell is derived from the human umbilical cord tissue in which mothers who give birth normally and in a healthy manner donate the umbilical cords, which are then screened for pathogens before being used for treatment. These stem cells are chosen since they can be administered in uniform doses and patients do not need to collect stem cells. The stem cells are potent compared with bone marrow stem cells because they are gathered immediately following a normal birth. The body cannot reject the stem cells because it does not view them to be foreign (Stem Cell Institute, n.d.). Stem Cell Institute was founded by Dr Neil H. Riordan, who holds a PhD and is an expert in the applied stem cell research domain. Stem Cell Institute was established in 2005. Its initial objective was to treat degenerative conditions. It later focused on offering stem cell therapies that are still in phase one trials but are unproven scientifically. According to the website, Stem Cell Institute employs qualified Doctors and collaborates with local and international experts in the Stem Cell field (Stem Cell Institute, n.d.).
The scientific literature does not support the claims made by Stem Cell Institute regarding the application of umbilical stem cells to treat autism. The therapy is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There is no current approved stem cell therapy for autism treatment and the only approved stem cell therapies that are safe and effective include hematopoietic therapy such as bone marrow to manage specific blood conditions and therapies to manage eye, skin and bone wounds through implantation or grafting (ISSCR, n.d.b). Current research demonstrates the potential of stem cells in the treatment of autism but does not claim that mesenchymal stem cell is a tested treatment model and thus is effective to treat autism. Many studies are investigating the best way to use mesenchymal stem cell to treat autism. The site, thus, offers information that is unsupported by evidence-based scientific facts. Any current stem cell treatment for autism is experimental, not an approved treatment mechanism.
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The human umbilical cord stem cell therapy for autism is not a well-established and proven technique for autism treatment. Currently, the technique is still on trial basis and the autism domain is not ready to apply stem cells as a treatment option (Nitkin & Bonfield, 2016). Rather, researchers are still studying the impact of using the human umbilical cord stem cell in the treatment of autism. Researchers have only established that umbilical cord stem cells can diminish the immune system in other illnesses (Nitkin & Bonfield, 2016). Scientists are thus, investigating whether the same thing can be done with autism. Different immune conditions are related to autism, for instance, over-activation of specific immune cells, allergy, autoimmunity and immune deficiencies (Nitkin & Bonfield, 2016). Researchers, however, have not established the involvement of the immune system. There is a large amount of data from different trials across the globe regarding the use of umbilical cord stem cell therapy to treat autism, but the information has not yet moved from basic research to clinical trials (Nitkin & Bonfield, 2016). Scientific discoveries go through several stages before being used to treat human disorders and diseases. The stages include basic research, pre-clinical research, clinical research and patient safety, and approval for an application (ISSCR, n.d.a). Regarding stem cell therapy for autism treatment, researchers are still in the basic research stage and are examining the underlying mechanism involved in the application of stem cells and the biology involved in autism. They are also still attempting to use the existing information to create models that would be used to examine different stem cell therapies for autism to translate the data they have into clinical trials (Nitkin & Bonfield, 2016).
Stem Cell Institute admits that the human umbilical cord stem cell therapy is not yet proven to be one of autism treatment modes. The site also admits that the therapy has not been approved by the FDA. The site, nevertheless, uses sensationalist claims and terminology to support its arguments regarding the use of human umbilical cord stem cell remedy in autism management. For example, Stem Cell Institute claims that stem cells derived from the umbilical cord are ideal for autism treatment and are even better than proven techniques like stem cells derived from the bone-marrow (Stem Cell Institute, n.d.). The site does not support this claim with any proven scientific evidence or facts. The site also claims that umbilical cord stem cells pose no rejection risk (Stem Cell Institute, n.d.). The information offered regarding the umbilical cord stem cell therapy for autism treatment is, thus, untrue as it is not based on any scientific evidence. The scientific literature shows that research on the utilization of stem cells for the treatment of autism shows promising results, but research is still on trial basis since researchers are still developing test models.
I cannot recommend the human umbilical cord stem cell therapy to patients with autism because the therapy is not supported by sound scientific facts. The therapy is also not approved by the FDA because it is still on trial basis and needs more experiments to identify its effectiveness and safety
References
ISSCR. (n.d.). Nine Things To Know About Stem Cell Treatments. Retrieved May 27, 2018, from http://www.closerlookatstemcells.org/stem-cells-and-medicine/nine-things-to- know-about-stem-cell-treatments
ISSCR. (n.d.a). How Science Becomes Medicine. Retrieved May 27, 2018, from http://www.closerlookatstemcells.org/from-lab-to-you/how-science-becomes-medicine
Nitkin, C. R., & Bonfield, T. L. (2016). Concise Review: Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Pediatric Disease: Perspectives on Success and Potential Improvements. STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, 6 (2), 539-565. doi:10.5966/sctm.2015-0427
Stem Cell Institute. (n.d.b). Stem Cell Therapy for Autism || Stem Cell Treatment Information || Panama. Retrieved May 27, 2018, from https://www.cellmedicine.com/stem-cell-therapy- for-autism/
