Stem Cell Clinic

Stem Cells Therapy for Autism: Does it Work?

Most of us are familiar with the scientific fact that any living, breathing animal, insect etc. is made up of cells. These cells form tissues and organs that support the existence of the host. Many of us have also heard of stem cells therapy for autism but are unsure about its validity.

Scientists have studied the underlying mechanism of cells, as well as their functioning, and have discovered ways of using the cells to improve the lives of humans and treat diseases. To do so, scientists have discovered stem cells; think of it as the building blocks of a fully differentiated cell.

Stem cells are human cells that can be developed and differentiated into other cell types. These cells can be derived from any part of the body, for example, stem cells from the brain, muscle, bone marrow, etc. Stem cells are versatile in that they can be used to fix damaged tissues. The two essential characteristics of stem cells include: Firstly, the ability to self-renew to create successors identical to the original cell. Secondly, stem cells, unlike cancer cells, are controlled and highly regulated, therefore, stem cells need to be able to give rise to specialized cell types that become part of the healthy body.

The purpose of stem cell therapy is to regenerate and repair damaged tissues and cells in the body. There are two main classes of stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells have the potential to become any cell in the adult body and multipotent stem cells are much more restricted to a specific population or lineage of cells. Other stem cell types include totipotent and unipotent.

Lets look at pluripotent and multipotent stem cells in detail.

Pluripotent stem cells are generated from somatic cells. These mainly come from embryos and, as such, theyre often referred to as embryonic stem cells.

Lets discuss three types of embryonic stem cells that are used to generate pluripotent cells. These include true embryonic stem cells (ES), nuclear transfer of somatic cells (ntES), and parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells (these are stem cells from unfertilized eggs).

The true embryonic stem cells are made from unused embryos, such as those that undergo IVF (in vitro fertilization). The process of IVF is such that the eggs and sperm are fertilized in a lab dish. What then happens is that, through this process, more embryos are generated, usually more than the couple actually need. Those that arent used can be donated to science.

Pluripotent cells made from these unused embryos are not genetically matched to the original hosts. These are mainly used in science for studies to learn how stem cells regenerate.

Every cell contains an organelle called a nucleus. The nucleus contains all the cells genetic information essential to its function. The word somatic refers to any cell in the body.

The process of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) extracts the nucleus from a somatic cell and transfers it into another cell that has had its own nucleus removed; i.e. the nucleus from the previous cell is being transferred to an egg cell that does not contain a nucleus (unnucleated).

When the nucleus is transferred to another cell, it activates the process of pluripotent cell generation that reprograms the generation of genes in that cell. The egg then becomes a zygote nucleus or a fertilized egg, the cell then replicates and through it embryonic stem cells are created.

Imagine being able to fertilize an egg without fertilization by sperm. Unusual, but science makes crazy things happen.

Parthenogenesis is the process whereby an unfertilized egg develops an embryo without fertilization. This can be achieved through chemical, physical or combined activation methods.

The parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells have the capacity for infinite proliferation and self-renewal, and maintain the ability to differentiate into one or more specialized types of cell or tissue.

pESCs are especially useful for regenerative medicine, and therefore allow the generation of functional cells that could potentially be used as treatment for many incurable diseases in the future.

Multipotent stem cells are unspecialized cell types that have the ability to self-renew and differentiate into specialized cell types. However, these cells are specific to the type of tissue or organ. For example, a multipotent adult stem cell from the bone marrow can become specialized to produce all blood cell types; and cells in the stem cells from neural networks in the brain can specialize to glial and neuronal cells.

When we talk about all blood cell types, we have to get a little scientific, but for the curious mind, all blood cell types refers to platelets, B and T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, dendritic cells.the list goes on.

In addition, for the curious mind, various types of stem cells include hematopoietic stem cells (the ones that make blood cell types), mesenchymal stem cells (differentiate into bone, fat, cartilage, muscle, and skin), and neural stem cells (from neural networks).

Now that weve covered the types of stem cells, the question remains, can stem cell therapy cure autism? Lets have a look.

To answer this question, I refer to the review by Price (2020) as it is the latest up-date data on this subject. It is important to note however, that at the time of reading this article there may be other research data published on this topic.

Several research studies cite immune dysfunction as the cause and effect of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). By virtue of this analogy, it has informed the basis of the stem cell therapy approach for treating autism. This is founded on the properties that regulate the immune system (immuno-regulatory properties).

From the review, it was also found that when exposed to inflammatory stimuli, this may lead to the development of postnatal diagnosis of ASD. Inflammation to the cell describes the process that occurs when the cell is exposed to harmful stimuli such as bacteria, trauma, toxins, heat, and pathogens. The affected cells then release chemicals that cause blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues, causing swelling.

Therefore, an inflammatory stimuli is that which influences the occurrence of an inflammatory response.

Other bodies of research found an altered level of proteins called cytokines which are essential for interaction and communication between cells in ASD. These may also be the cause of the development of autism spectrum disorder. Some genetic studies propose an association between a genetic loci (a specific point on the genome of the autistic individual) and ASD whose function is related to immune function. While others suggest a possible anomaly in the neuronal signaling pathway that directs communication and information transfer between neurons

All these are proposed reasons that hypothesize the use of stem cell therapy to treat autism biologically. However, all these propositions do not lead to one voice, there are too many hypotheses that make it difficult to narrow down the target area that would potentially treat autism or autism symptoms. Keeping in mind that autism traits are diverse, therefore, narrowing this information down to one plausible pathology is an even greater challenge.

So, is stem cell therapy effective? The answer to this is unknown.

Is ASD caused by genetic, immune dysfunction, or inflammatory stimuli? The answer to this is not clear and theres a vast number of studies that argue different theories.

It is even more disturbing to consider these hypotheses because, for example, each person can experience bacterial or viral infections, or stress that can impact immune functioning and/or lead to inflammation but were not all on the spectrum. Therefore, we cant say that factors which alter our immune functioning lead to the development of neurodevelopmental conditions.

However, according to Price, the study by Riordan et al. (2019) proposes the influence of cytokines for the treatment of autism.The data proposed could be a point in a positive direction to answering whether stem cell therapy could potentially treat autism symptoms.

Unfortunately, there is no data to positively state the effectiveness of stem cell therapy for treating autism. As more research is developed in this field, theres hope that more understanding of autism will arise, and perhaps an alternative form of treatment of autism symptoms can be developed. It is also worth noting the possibility of genetic markers that could help diagnose autism during pregnancy or during the prenatal development stage.

The studies highlighted in this article are simply preliminary assessments. Further research needs to be conducted in order to understand the potential of cell therapies for treating autism.

The findings of these studies vary in hypothesis and this makes generalization hard. Science has developed greatly over years, therefore, for those that believe in the potential of science and all that it could offer, theres a reason to hope that stem cell therapy could potentially be used as treatment for autism in the near future.

Biehl, J. K., & Russell, B. (2009). Introduction to stem cell therapy. The Journal of cardiovascular nursing, 24(2), 98105. https://doi.org/10.1097/JCN.0b013e318197a6a5

Price, J.(2020). Cell therapy approaches to autism: a review of clinical trial data. Molecular Autism, 11, 37 . https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-020-00348-z

http://stemcell.childrenshospital.org/about-stem-cells/adult-somatic-stem-cells-101/where-do-we-get-adult-stem-cells/

Thermo Fisher Scientific. An Overview of Pluripotent and Multipotent Stem Cell Targets. https://www.thermofisher.com/za/en/home/life-science/antibodies/antibodies-learning-center/antibodies-resource-library/antibody-methods/pluripotent-multipotent-stem-cell-targets.html

Yu, Z., Han, B. (2016). Advantages and limitations of the parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells in cell therapy. Journal of Reproduction and Contraception, 27 (2), Issue 2, 118-124. https://doi.org/10.7669/j.issn.1001-7844.2016.02.0118

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Long-Lasting Effects: Spaceflight Linked to an Increased Risk of Cancer and Heart Disease – SciTechDaily

The researchers believe it is important to continuously screen the blood of astronauts throughout their careers and during their retirement in order to monitor their health.

A groundbreaking study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found that astronauts are more likely to develop mutations, potentially connected to spaceflight, that raise astronauts lifelong risk of acquiring cancer and heart disease.

Researchers took blood samples from astronauts who served on space shuttle missions between 1998 and 2001 for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). All 14 astronauts were found to have DNA alterations, or somatic mutations, in the blood-forming system (hematopoietic stem cells). Their research, which was recently published in the journalCommunications Biology, raises the possibility that these mutations may be brought on by spaceflight and highlights the importance of routine blood testing for astronauts throughout their careers and during retirement to keep an eye on their health.

Somatic mutations are mutations that occur after conception and in cells other than sperm or egg cells, meaning they cannot be passed on to children. The mutations uncovered in this study were characterized by an excess of blood cells produced from a single clone, a process known as clonal hematopoiesis (CH). Such mutations are commonly brought on by environmental causes, such as exposure to UV radiation or certain chemicals, and may develop as a consequence of chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer. There are few symptoms or signs of CH; most individuals are identified via genetic testing of their blood for other disorders. Although CH is not always a sign of disease, it is linked to an increased risk of blood cancer and cardiovascular disease.

An infographic describing the research process. Credit: Communications Biology / Mount Sinai Health System

Astronauts work in an extreme environment where many factors can result in somatic mutations, most importantly space radiation, which means there is a risk that these mutations could develop into clonal hematopoiesis. Given the growing interest in both commercial spaceflights and deep space exploration, and the potential health risks of exposure to various harmful factors that are associated with repeated or long-duration exploration space missions, such as a trip to Mars, we decided to explore, retrospectively, somatic mutation in the cohort of 14 astronauts, said the studys lead author David Goukassian, MD, Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) with the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Icahn Mount Sinai.

The study subjects were astronauts who flew relatively short (median 12 days) space shuttle missions between 1998 and 2001. Their median age was approximately 42 years old; roughly 85 percent were male, and six of the 14 were on their first mission. The researchers collected whole blood samples from the astronauts 10 days before their flight and on the day of landing, and white blood cells only three days after landing. The samples were stored at -80C for approximately 20 years.

Using DNA sequencing followed by extensive bioinformatics analyses, researchers identified 34 mutations in 17 CH-driver genes. The most frequent mutations occurred in TP53, a gene that produces a tumor-suppressing protein, and DNMT3A, one of the most frequently mutated genes in acute myeloid leukemia. However, the frequency of the somatic mutations in the genes that the researchers assessed was less than two percent, the technical threshold for somatic mutations in hematopoietic stem cells to be considered clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP). CHIP is more common in older individuals and is associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and both hematologic and solid cancer.

Although the clonal hematopoiesis we observed was of relatively small size, the fact that we observed these mutations was surprising given the relatively young age and health of these astronauts. The presence of these mutations does not necessarily mean that the astronauts will develop cardiovascular disease or cancer, but there is the risk that, over time, this could happen through ongoing and prolonged exposure to the extreme environment of deep space, Dr. Goukassian said. Through this study, we have shown that we can determine the individual susceptibility of astronauts to develop disease related to their work without any implications that can affect their ability to do their work. Indeed, our studies demonstrate the importance of early and ongoing screening to assess that susceptibility. Our recommendation is that NASA, and its medical team, screen astronauts for somatic mutations and possible clonal expansion, or regression, every three to five years, and, not less importantly, well into their retirement years when somatic mutations may expand clonally and become CHIP.

The teams research follows previous studies that used the same samples to identify predictive biomarkers in exosomessmall lipid-layered microscopic vesicles of nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and metabolites that form within the cells of the human body and are subsequently released into the blood circulation, hence carrying the information from their cells of origin that reflects their intercellular condition. This feature of exosomes may qualify them as great biomarkers of health and/or disease, as well as transfer information from one cell to another at a great distance in the body. When they treated human heart cells with exosomes derived from astronauts, the researchers found that the exosomes affected the biology of the vitamin D receptor, which plays a key role in bone, heart, and skeletal muscle health. They also assessed the impact of space flight on mitochondrial DNAthe genome of small organelles that supply energy to cells. In that study, the team found that the amount of cell-free mitochondrial DNA circulating in the blood of astronauts was two to 350 times higher than normal, which may lead to oxidative damage and inflammation elsewhere in the body.

Through these studies, we have demonstrated the potential to assess the health risk of space flight among astronauts. What is important now is to conduct longitudinal retrospective and well-controlled prospective studies involving a large number of astronauts to see how that risk evolves based on continued exposure and then compare that data against their clinical symptoms, imaging, and lab results. That will enable us to make informed predictions as to which individuals are more likely to develop disease based on the phenomena we are seeing and open the door to individualized precision medicine approaches to early intervention and prevention, said Dr. Goukassian.

Reference: Retrospective analysis of somatic mutations and clonal hematopoiesis in astronauts by Agnieszka Brojakowska, Anupreet Kour, Mark Charles Thel, Eunbee Park, Malik Bisserier, Venkata Naga Srikanth Garikipati, Lahouaria Hadri, Paul J. Mills, Kenneth Walsh and David A. Goukassian, 17 August 2022, Communications Biology. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03777-z

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Long-Lasting Effects: Spaceflight Linked to an Increased Risk of Cancer and Heart Disease - SciTechDaily