Correlation Between CD133+ Stem Cells and Clinical Improvement in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders Treated...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Regenerative Medicine
• Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) present significant social and communication challenges.
• Current treatments for ASDs are limited in their effectiveness.
• Cell-based therapies offer a potential avenue for managing ASD symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical efficacy of intrathecal (IT) administration of bone marrow (BM) mononuclear cells (BM-MNC) in patients with ASD.
• To assess the correlation between clinical improvement and specific stem cell markers.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-four patients diagnosed with ASD received autologous IT BM-MNC treatment.
• Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) at 30 and 180 days post-treatment.
• Correlation analysis was performed between clinical benefit and CD133+ cell expression.

Main Results:

• IT BM-MNC treatment significantly improved ASD symptoms by Day 30 (p=0.0039).
• These improvements were sustained and further enhanced by Day 180 (p<0.0001).
• Clinical benefit correlated positively with the enrichment of CD133+ cells at both time points (Day 30: p=0.001, r=-0.51; Day 180: p=0.01, r=-0.60).

Conclusions:

• Intrathecal bone marrow mononuclear cell therapy is a viable treatment option for improving clinical outcomes in ASD.
• The therapeutic effect appears linked to the presence of CD133+ stem cells within the administered BM-MNC population.
• Further research into stem cell markers may optimize cell therapy protocols for ASD.