Efficacy and Safety of Stem Cell Therapy in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Rport Summary

Major Points and Findings:

Aim:

The study aimed to gather evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of stem cell therapy for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children. The authors conducted the first meta-analysis on this topic to provide evidence for clinical rehabilitation.

Methods:

The researchers sourced data from various databases, including PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and China Academic Journal, up to 24th JULY 2021. They used the Cochrane tool to assess the risk of bias in the literature and extracted data to calculate pooled efficacy and safety.

Results:

• Five studies that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed.
• The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) score of the stem cell group was significantly lower than the control group (WMD: −5.96; 95%CI [−8.87, −3.06]; p < 0.0001).
• The Clinical Global Impression score showed an effect size RR = 1.01, 95%CI [0.87, 1.18], Z = 0.14 (p = 0.89). The effective rate for The Clinical Global Impression was 62% in the stem cell group and 60% in the control group.
• There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the stem cell group and the control group (RR = 1.55; 95%CI = 0.60 to 3.98; p = 0.36).

Conclusions:

The meta-analysis suggests that stem cell therapy for children with autism might be safe and effective. However, the evidence is compromised by limitations such as the small study size, lack of standardized injection routes and doses of stem cells, and shortages in diagnostic tools and long-term follow-up studies. The authors emphasize the need for more studies to confirm the efficacy and safety of stem cell therapy for children with ASD.

Background Information:

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by social deficits, communication difficulties, and stereotypic behaviors. The etiology of ASD is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve both genetic and environmental factors. Stem cells have gained attention as a potential therapeutic approach for ASD due to their immunomodulatory properties and multi-directional differentiation capacity.