Controversial stem cell treatment put to test in groundbreaking autism study

Diseases and conditions where stem cell treatment is promising or emerging. (See Wikipedia:Stem cell#Treatments). Bone marrow transplantation is, as of 2009, the only established use of stem cells. Model: Mikael Häggström. To discuss image, please see Template talk:Häggström diagrams (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Stem cell diagram illustrates a human fetus stem cell and possible uses on the circulatory, nervous, and immune systems. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the first such officially-sanctioned study of its kind, investigators are planning to test whether stem cells can effectively treat autism. And they've drawn some quick criticism of their work from researchers who are skeptical about the small number of young patients which will be recruited for the FDA-approved trial.
In the study, investigators at the Sutter Institute for Medical Research in Sacramento, CA, will enroll 30 children between the ages of two and 7. Half will be treated with injections of their own cord blood stem cells drawn from a single stem cell bank over 6 months, while the other half is given a placebo. Then they will switch therapies for the next 6 months.

Diagram of stem cell division and differentiation. A - stem cell; B - progenitor cell; C - differentiated cell; 1 - symmetric stem cell division; 2 - asymmetric stem cell division; 3 - progenitor division; 4 - terminal differentiation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"This is the start of a new age of research in stem cell therapies for chronic diseases such as autism, ..., said Michael Chez, the director of pediatric neurology with the Sutter Neuroscience Institute and principal study investigator. "I will focus on a select portion of children diagnosed with autism who have no obvious cause for the condition, such as known genetic syndromes or brain injury."

August 21, 2012 | By John Carroll
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- here's the press release
- and the article from Bloomberg
Special Report: Stem cell research advances in fits and starts


Read more: Controversial stem cell treatment put to test in groundbreaking autism study - FierceBiotech http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/controversial-stem-cell-treatment-put-test-groundbreaking-autism-study/2012-08-21#ixzz24KWP0IDS
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Controversial stem cell treatment put to test in groundbreaking autism study - FierceBiotech

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