Controversial Stem Cell Treatments for Autistic Children
Children with autism as young as 18 months are receiving unapproved and potentially harmful stem cell treatments from human umbilical cords. These procedures are reportedly spreading across the U.S., largely fueled by the encouragement of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. health secretary.
Various clinics in states like Florida and Texas are marketing what they call “regenerative medicine” to families whose children require intensive care. Parents of affected children have shared their experiences with the Guardian, expressing their hopes and concerns regarding this growing trend in treatment.
This procedure often entails administering high doses of stem cells through intravenous infusions, sometimes preceded by sedation with ketamine, costing families up to $20,000 per session. Many are advised to come back for repeat treatments.
Desperate parents are drawn to these clinics by claims that such treatments could lead to significant improvements in their children’s social skills, communication, and reduction in harmful behaviors. However, the scientific community remains skeptical. A notable placebo trial by Duke University involving 180 children revealed no considerable benefits.
The FDA has issued strong warnings, indicating that parents may be misled if they are offered stem cell treatments that are not part of approved clinical trials. They caution that such offers are, in all likelihood, illegal.
Despite the Duke study finding minimal safety issues with properly managed infusions, authorities underscore the risks involved with therapies that aren’t comprehensively regulated. In 2021, the FDA noted complications reported with umbilical cord stem cell applications leading to serious issues like blindness, tumors, and infections.
During his tenure in the Trump administration, Kennedy made significant changes, reducing funding for established scientific research, and firing numerous federal health officials. At the same time, he has subtly supported alternative health practitioners who have been capitalizing on the gaps left by mainstream medical research in autism. He even attended summits focused on stem cell treatments for autistic children.
At one summit, he claimed the issue surrounding autism is “no longer on the fringe”, and at another, he signaled a commitment to collaborate with stem cell providers to foster solutions. His support has bolstered the activities of figures like Mike Chan, a physician who promotes administering stem cells from livestock to autistic children.
Kennedy has developed close ties with Tracy Slepcevic, the summit organizer and a supporter of alternative autism therapies. She has announced plans to initiate a new experiment next month that will involve injecting 120 autistic children with umbilical stem cells in collaboration with a clinic in Tijuana, Mexico, which has more lax regulations on stem cell treatments.
Ed Clay, a former MMA fighter and founder of a clinic in Tijuana, announced that this clinical trial would be fully licensed in Mexico and free for the participating families. He has recruited numerous professionals, including PhDs from prestigious universities, to oversee the trial.
He mentioned potential plans to expand the trial into the U.S. if initial results in Mexico prove promising. However, he also acknowledged that other stem cell providers may not adhere to similar standards, posing risks to families.
Although Kennedy has expressed the desire to avoid a chaotic landscape of alternative therapies in the U.S., he has simultaneously recognized that embracing such providers might inevitably invite unscrupulous operators into the mix. The Guardian reached out to the health department and the FDA but has yet to receive a response.
Among the many stem cell providers entering the autism treatment scene is a Miami-based company run by Greice Murphy, who has a background in various ventures, including a tequila brand. Recently, she has begun offering umbilical cord stem cell infusions for autism at a hefty price of $300 for an initial consultation followed by up to $15,000 for each treatment.
Murphy has claimed that her clinic is the first in the U.S. to offer “legal, compliant access” to such treatments under a “right-to-try” law. This claim is misleading, as the Right to Try Act is specifically meant for terminally ill patients, and autism does not qualify.
Families being drawn into this unregulated world include Taylor, who plans to take her four-year-old son, Ollie, for a stem cell infusion in Florida. The steep cost of $12,500 has mostly been covered through donations. She wishes for others to recognize the struggles faced by children like her son.
Despite receiving skepticism from family members about her choice to pursue alternative therapies, Taylor believes that trying every possible solution is worth it, saying, “I hope they come to understand the lengths we must go, simply because no one else will.”
