Abstract
BACKGROUND: Interest in the issue of childhood autism has surged in the recent decades. At the same time, despite the significant progress achieved in understanding the etiological and pathogenetic aspects of the condition, effective ways to treat it have continued to elude us. Stem cell therapy appears to hold great promise in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with both neurological diseases (cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus) and mental disorders (autism, schizophrenia).
METHODS: This article presents a case report describing the use of nucleated cord blood cells in a patient with regressive autism and resistance to standard therapies. The child’s condition was assessed before treatment and 6 and 12 months after.
RESULTS: Clinical observation, psychometric, and instrumental diagnostic methods led to a significant improvement in the child’s condition in the form of perception development, reduction of somatosensory disorders, normalization of emotional status, and a development of social and communication skills.
CONCLUSION: We assume that the result obtained may be associated with the normalization of the immunological status of our patient thanks to the cord blood cells therapy and consider it necessary to conduct further studies into the effectiveness of the method, taking the pathogenic mechanisms of autism into account.