Autism, today more accurately referred to as autism spectrum disorder, or ASD has had a very long journey through medical science, and one that is still far from complete. While diseases such as measles have been understood for centuries, with clear documentation about their formation, infection, causes and cures, ASD is still a much more complex and mysterious condition.
It wasn’t until the 1980s that ASD was even acknowledged as a unique category. Before that, people with ASD symptoms were believed to have some varied symptoms of schizophrenia and were misdiagnosed as such, treated with antipsychotics and other medications. This was further complicated by the fact that some ASD symptoms do respond to anti-psychotic or anti-depressant medication, while others do not.
Today, however, we have a better understanding of ASD, but that understanding has only illustrated how complex the condition is, not how simple it would be to cure. With current medical technology, no cure for ASD exists, so the condition can only be managed through various forms of treatment.
One of these is stem cell therapy, a very recent development in ASD treatment. But what is this form of treatment? How does it work? And what can you do to ensure you get the possible chance at a successful treatment, with qualified medical professionals?
How Stem Cell Therapy Works
In normal medical circumstances, the human body, while resilient, can’t replace large scale damage to the body. A cut on the finger is small, and skin cells can easily reproduce in the numbers required for new skin to grow over a cut and regenerate, usually without even showing a scar. In the same way, when you get a hair cut, the cells in hair can easily reproduce to create more hair.
However, if you get into an accident that requires the amputation of a leg, or an arm, the bone, muscle, and nerve cells can’t reproduce in the numbers required to allow the limb to grow back. Many of these cells are too specialized to allow that kind of mass growth. Of course, this wasn’t always the case with your body.
When a baby is developing in the mother’s womb, it starts as a single fertilized egg cell. That cell then divides rapidly, to create more cells, which are known as stem cells. Stem cells are “blank cells” that can take on the role of any cell required, whether it is brain, heart, bone or lung. With enough stem cells, any part of the body can be regrown, which is how it is possible for babies to develop during pregnancy.
Stem Cell Therapy For Autism
Where stem cell therapy for ASD enters the equation is in helping to manage the symptoms. ASD is believed to have multiple causes at this point, from genetic, to pre-natal to post-natal, and as a result, curing it is not something medical science is capable of.
However, with stem cell therapy, an transfusion of “fresh” stem cells—ideally ones that have been collected from the birth mother of the child—can enter the system and grow into undamaged, “replacement” cells to help augment neural or brain development. There have already been promising results with ASD treatment, where recipients of stem cell therapy have shown improved behavior, reduced hostility, and even receptiveness to communication.
Treatment Limitations
However, especially in the United States, stem cell therapy, while proven to work, is only approved of by the Food & Drug Administration for use in general hospital treatment with cancer patients, specifically for blood-related cancer like leukemia. This is the one area where abundant research, documentation, and medical treatment have all been approved for general use.
This means that while administering stem cell therapy for conditions other than leukemia is not considered a criminal act, doctors who do are in a very risky legal area. As a result in the USA, stem cell therapy for ASD is not legally available, and people must go to other countries to receive such treatment.
The Trust Factor
There are other countries, with clinics that offer safe, legal stem cell therapy services for people interested in stem cell therapy for autism. In the Americas, countries like Panama and Mexico both have clinics, while countries like Georgia offer the same quality services in Europe.
However, it is important when considering stem cell therapy to make sure you choose safely and wisely. This is why it’s important to do your research. When you hear about a stem cell therapy clinic in Georgia, for example, don’t just immediately book an appointment. Instead, carefully research the organization, their qualifications, and above all, look at reviews. When people have had good results with a clinic, they will say so. Even more importantly, if a clinic doesn’t offer satisfactory service, it’s good to know in advance. Looking at reviews is one of your best ways to make the right choice.
