News: Recently, Supreme court gave judgement that the Stem cell therapy cannot be offered as a clinical service for autism.
About Stem Cell Therapy for Autism
- Stem cell therapy is also referred to as regenerative medicine.
- It encourages the healing process of damaged, malfunctioning, or wounded tissue by utilizing stem cells or their derivatives.
- Note: Stem cells are special because no other cell in our body can differentiate into a specific new cell.
- How it works:
- Stem cell extraction: The basic process of stem cell therapy starts with taking out of stem cells containing bone marrow and processing the stem cells in a lab.
- Specialisation: Then stem cells are specialized into the necessary adult cell type. These stem cells are manipulated to specialize into specific types of cells, such as heart muscle cells, blood cells or nerve cells.
- Implantation: Then, those mature cells replace tissue that is damaged by disease or injury.
- Different Types of Stem Cell Therapy: Autologous, or self-to-self therapy, which uses the patient’s cells and allogeneic, or using cells from a healthy donor for the treatment.
- How it is used for Autism: Stem cell therapy for autism is an experimental treatment and can be used in following ways:
- Reducing brain inflammation: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) release anti-inflammatory substances that may help decrease long-term neuroinflammation in many children with autism.
- Regulating the immune system: Stem cells may help rebalance immune responses, lowering abnormal immune activity that can interfere with brain development.
- Enhancing neural repair and connectivity: Stem cells produce growth factors that support the healing of damaged neurons and strengthen communication between brain cells.
- Improving blood flow and oxygen delivery: By supporting healthy blood vessels, stem cells may improve circulation and nutrient supply to the brain, which are essential for normal development.
Judgement related to Stem cell therapy use for Autism
- Stem cell ‘therapies’ cannot be offered as a clinical service for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), outside of an approved and monitored clinical trial or research setting.
- The court held that consent obtained from patients is invalid if it is not based on adequate and credible scientific information.
- Such practices were found to be in violation of the New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules, 2019, and the National Guidelines for Stem Cell Research, 2017.
- The Court directed the government to establish a dedicated authority to regulate and oversee stem cell research nationwide.
