A growing number of American families are seeking unproven stem cell infusions for their autistic children, driven by a sense of desperation and the hope for improved well-being. These treatments, which can cost upwards of £12,000, are not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and scientists warn there is little to no evidence to support their effectiveness for autism. This burgeoning market is raising significant ethical concerns about vulnerable families being sold false hope.
One such case involves Landyn Holdren, an eight-year-old autistic boy with high support needs and who is nonspeaking. His mother, Christy Holdren, spent approximately £9,900 on an initial round of treatment at a Florida clinic last October and is preparing for a second infusion costing around £11,900, despite taking out a loan against her retirement savings. While she believes she observed small improvements after the first dose, such as Landyn making more eye contact, his aggressive and self-harming behaviours have since worsened.
Across the United States, autistic children as young as 18 months are undergoing these unapproved procedures in clinics located in states like Florida and Texas. The treatment typically involves sedating the child before administering intravenous doses of millions of stem cells, often derived from human umbilical cords. Alarmingly, some medical professionals offering these therapies lack scientific expertise in autism or child development, with doctors from specialties such as plastic surgery and orthopaedics entering the sector.
The growth of this domestic market marks a shift, as Americans previously seeking such unapproved therapies often travelled abroad to places like Mexico or Panama. What is particularly concerning to many experts is the perceived support for these clinics from influential figures, including the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr. Stem cell biologist Paul Knoepfler, who monitors these clinics, has noted a significant reduction in FDA enforcement activity over the past 18 months, leading to fears that regulatory oversight may be weakening.
Professor Arnold Kriegstein, a neurologist who led stem cell research at the University of California San Francisco for nearly two decades, expressed profound dismay at the situation. He described the treatments as “completely bogus” and voiced concern that desperate families are being exploited. The FDA has only approved stem cells for a very limited range of uses, such as bone marrow transplants or to support cancer patients' immune systems after chemotherapy, using carefully matched cells.
Source: The Guardian