Fraudulent stem-cell therapy for autism

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I am listening to a very poor broadcast on the radio that is completely uncritically accepting the word of a parent who has subjected an autistic child to stem cell therapy, claiming it has rapidly improved his condition, cured his aggression, made him more sociable, etc, etc. The parent implied that a major autism charity is promoting the therapy.

The parent said nothing about how much this therapy cost, but it is an unapproved treatment that they traveled to receive in another country (first time in South America) where regulations do not prohibit untested treatments.

There is absolutely no evidence that stem cell therapy has any benefits whatsoever for autism. Doctors who have pushed supposed stem-therapy treatments for other neurological conditions in the country that I am in have been de-registered, prohibited from treating patients and (in one local case) prosecuted for fraud.

Last edited by StuartN on 28 Jun 2010, 8:43 am, edited 1 time in total.

Do you think the parent's lying or being mislead by someone? Do you, by "God-awful" mean that it is a religious station? That would put a deep shadow of doubt on the whole thing.

I think the parent is being misled into spending a great deal (many tens of thousands of dollars) on a treatment with no benefit.

I have removed my irrelevant and inappropriate language (for clarity, it is a government funded news station).

It's hard to make my mind about it as I haven't read any studies about stem cells and autism. The whole thing has a slight feeling of a scam though and I'd be inclined to trust your judgment on that case but I'd be also interested in what others have to say about it.

I love the smell of quackery, early in the morning.

I'm not convinced either way. All due respect to those posting before me on this, I'd hate to think we're condemning a possible miracle treatment. Stem cell research has proven to help, and even cure, some formerly un-treatable conditions. I can't go much further into explaining my views without going hardline political, so I'll leave it here.

Charles

My husband was talking to someone a while ago about going to some country where they use bone marrow for some kind of autism cure or treatment. (they are curbies by the way, especially the dad) It disturbed me that they would actually consider this. The mom was not for it, but the dad was pushing. It scares me to think that people would do something that could potentially harm a child and make life even harder for them in the quest for their version of perfection, particularly when there isn't enough evidence to even consider it in your own country.

I told my husband if I was there I would have flipped out.

Last edited by MommyJones on 28 Jun 2010, 12:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

It's quackery. Stem cells do not work that way!!

And yes, it does have risks involved--especially since the doctors who will inject stem cells tend to be the sort who are unethical enough to tell parents that it shows promise. Any doctor who has done research on the subject knows that stem cells don't cure autism (though there's research going on with stem cells that might eventually yield treatments, we just don't know enough to do anything of the sort with what we have now).

Any doctor who will inject stem cells into an autistic child is either deliberately deceiving the parents, or else is being upfront about the fact that there are no reasons, theoretical or experimental, why stem cells should have any effect on autism. In either case, we have either an unethical doctor or desperate parents, and yes, it's risky.

I don't like it. It's bad enough when most of the legitimate research is going to prenatal testing. It's worse when people turn to treatments that there are no good reasons to think would even work.

Stem cells--the new snake oil?

The parent's unprofessional, emotional assessment wouldn't mean jack-diddley squat as proof that any treatment worked. Only testing neurological function and finding significant improvement would constitute any viable evidence of success, and then only in a study wide enough to provide statistical significance.

Anyone who allows a doctor to inject their child with something untested and unproven, unless its a last-ditch attempt to save them from certain death, is a horrible monster in my book, and should be prosecuted for child endangerment and possibly attempted murder or homicidal negligence as soon as they get back to their native country.

What he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

'Nuff said.

That's why I was glad I wasn't there when this lady was talking to my husband about this bone marrow thing. I would have went off! I don't even want to medicate my kid, let alone do something unproven to the extent that it isn't even allowed in my country. I don't know if I would go as far as horrible monster, they really believe this would "help" their kid and they are very missguided, but nevertheless I'm with you. It is VERY irresponsible and really scary.

What makes me sad is that if she can't accept her child for who he is, then how can she expect other people to? I feel so bad for this kid. I would take him in a minute. It's very sad.

This type of parent is a danger to their children. Just like those who do not vaccinate because it's either, a supposed cause for autism or something else they find scary, or an evil government plot. Stem cell therapy does not fix things that aren't broken...

Stem cell therapy does have great uses and more are being discovered, best known and perhaps oldest medical use is for transplantations to fight cancer and other diseases that among other things can affect bone marrow. I myself had a stash in a freezer somewhere as a precaution, it was harvested back in '96 when I was cancer-free for a year.

does stem cell treatment ever cure autism, is there any proof or evidence that stem cells ever cure autism

Does anyone even know what stem cells are anymore?

Seriously?

Give me one reason why that would ever work. That makes no sense at all.

People are so fricking gullible.