http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT02176317 Umbilical cord blood (UCB) has been shown to lessen the clinical and radiographic impact of hypoxic brain injury and stroke in animal models and in infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. UCB also engrafts and differentiates in the brain, facilitating neural cell repair in animal models and human patients with inborn errors of metabolism undergoing allogeneic, unrelated donor UCB transplantation. Infusion of autologous UCB does not require immunosuppression and has been shown to be safe in young children with brain injuries such as cerebral palsy and stroke. In this study, the investigators hypothesize that infusion of a patients own umbilical cord blood cells (UCB) can offer neural protection/repair in the brain and reduction of inflammation associated with this disorder.

DUKE STEM CELL AUTISM TRIAL

Theres a lot of skepticism surrounding this trial using cord blood stem cells to treat autism. Apparently, the concerns are:

1. Autism is a name given to a whole host of diseases yet to be named, ie. many different symptoms. Stem cells are part of the natural healing system in the body. They are smart and migrate to fix damaged tissue and cells. Stem cells work within your body in conjunction with your physiology. You can try to train and control them but they have a mind of their own. For ex: When cardiac stem cells are injected into the heart, they often finish their work and then migrate down to the Pancreas and fix it. IV implantation is very much in keeping with this idea and relies on the stem cells smart capabilities. On a certain level, we dont need to know what is broken. They do. A soldier is trained to respond to orders, then told what to do and they damn well do it. Marines are taught to adapt, improvise, overcome and often sent into battle with limited intel. When faced with an obstacle, they change their strategy and create a new one to succeed. Both are very valuable. Stem cells are born Marines.

2. We dont know what causes Autism so we cant treat it. The people saying we dont know what causes Autism are the same people who knew cardiac cells dont regenerate, central nervous system cells dont regenerate, only Embryonic stem cells have value, Margarine is better than Butter, etc. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Hamlet (1.5.167-8), Hamlet to Horatio

Our knowledge is incredibly limited. As time goes on, we learn more and everything we held as inviolate becomesviolated. Taking into consideration that everything we know will be proven wrong in a few decades and then wrong again in another few after that as we learn morepeople should probably stop blocking treatments because of what they know or in this case, dont know.

This just popped up and I had to add it. Regulation of developmental gene expression occurs in the reverse order to that expected http://phys.org/news/2014-07-developmental-gene-reverse.html modifications involving Polycomb proteins occur in a manner that contradicts existing models.

3. Stem cells cant make it into the brain where the damage is. This is a test for safety of stem cells in Autistic children so efficacy is only a secondary consideration. Lets see if they tolerate a small amount of stem cells first before giving them a full dose, though I see no reason why they wouldnt. Duke U. is where a number of successful pediatric cord blood/Cerebral Palsy trials were held. http://repairstemcell.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/cerebral-palsy-and-stem-cells/ CP involves the brain. Stem cells have a history of success with Ataxia, Traumatic Brain injury, etc. etc.

Conclusion:

See original here:
The Stem Cell Blog | Adult Stem Cell Patient Empowerment

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