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News: The Union Health Ministry has asked States and Union Territories to restrict stem cell therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to approved clinical trials.
About Stem Cell Therapy
- Stem Cells: They are undifferentiated biological cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and divide to produce more stem cells.
- Role: They are found in almost all tissues and help in tissue maintenance and repair.
- Types: The main types of stem cells are embryonic, adult, induced pluripotent and perinatal stem cells.
- Stem Cell Therapy: It uses stem cells to prevent or treat diseases and promote the repair of diseased, dead or injured tissues.
- Working Mechanism:
- Extraction: Stem cells are taken from a suitable source, such as bone marrow, and processed in a laboratory.
- Specialisation: The cells are manipulated to become specific types, such as heart muscle, blood or nerve cells.
- Implantation: The specialised cells are implanted into the person and may help repair damaged tissue.
- Applications:
- Disease Treatment: Stem cell transplants are used to treat leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
- Tissue Repair: Stem cells may help replace damaged neurons, produce insulin and repair cartilage.
- Regenerative Medicine: Stem cells are being studied for type 1 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, heart failure and osteoarthritis.
- Research and Drug Testing: Stem cells can help researchers understand diseases and test new drugs for safety, effectiveness and toxicity.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in India: In India, the use of stem cell therapy for ASD is restricted to duly approved clinical trials.
- Available evidence does not support its use as a standard treatment for ASD.
