Four-year-old boy, Apartim Dey Singha resident of Kolkata, has been treated through stem cell transplant for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder; Autism at the Duke University clinical trial for treatment of autism through autologous (own stem cells) cord blood stem cell transplants.
Autism is a developmental disorder that impairs the social ability to interact and manifests itself through speech disability & other social behavioural issues. Autistic kids have difficulty in expressing themselves and their inability can be clearly noticed by the parent or the caretaker. It is the third most common developmental disorder in which, according to few experts, one in 166 children are affected in India. Structural damage to the brain, toxins, pollutants and environmental related, genetic metabolic, etc., are few of the most common causes associated with autism.
Results of the Duke University Phase 1 Clinical Trial proves autologous cord blood infusions are safe and feasible in young children with ASD. Significant improvements in children were observed on parent‐report measures of social communication skills, expressive vocabulary, eye‐tracking measures to social stimuli and behavioral parameters during the first 6 months after infusion. These data will serve as the basis for future studies to determine the efficacy of umbilical cord blood infusions in children with ASD.
Early diagnosis of Autism, coupled with swift and effective intervention, is paramount to achieving the best possible prognosis for the child. In recent times, stem cell transplant is emerging as one of the newer treatment options for autism. It has the potential to repair the damaged neural tissue at molecular, structural and functional level.
Speaking at the occasion, Apurba Dey Singha said, “Initially when we got to know that our son Apratim was suffering from autism we didn’t know how to take it but we were determined to get him treated and help him overcome the disorder. Our first step was to speak and consult with various healthcare experts. We browsed through the internet and learnt about autologous stem cell transplant (using own stem cells) for autism. We were happy that we made a wise decision of preserving our baby’s umbilical cord stem cells at birth in 2014 with LifeCell, which were used for treating my son for autism. Today we are seeing great progress in terms of development milestones in my son.”
Mayur Abhaya, CEO, MD , LifeCell said, “It’s heartwarming to see clinical improvement and development milestones in Apartim Dey Singha. Recently scientists at Duke University have published results of their study which indicates improvement in autistic children post infusion of autologous umbilical cord stem cells and this improvement has further validated the high quality preservation standards of stem cells at LifeCell. There are many ongoing clinical trials across the world and this certainly gives hope to parents who have preserved their baby’s stem cells at birth.”