A CLINIC claims it has used stem cells to treat Down鈥檚 syndrome in up to 14 people. 鈥淎s far as we know, it鈥檚 the first time that stem cells have been used to treat Down鈥檚 syndrome,鈥� says Jyoti Titus, manager at Nutech Mediworld clinic in New Delhi, India.
The announcement has set alarm bells ringing. It鈥檚 not clear to independent stem cell or Down鈥檚 experts how stem cells 鈥� which can form many types of tissue 鈥� might treat Down鈥檚, a genetic disorder caused by having an extra chromosome. 鈥淭he use of these cells does not make biological sense and may place the babies at considerable risk of side effects,鈥漵ays of the International Society for Cellular Therapy.
Clinically proven stem cell therapies are only just starting to become available. The first off-the-shelf stem cell treatment to gain regulatory approval was launched in Japan last year, and prevents transplanted organs from attacking their recipients. A number of research teams are putting other experimental stem cell therapies through stringent clinical trials.
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But hundreds of clinics worldwide already offer stem cell treatments unvetted by regulatory authorities. A patent held by the clinic鈥檚 medical director, Geeta Shroff, from 2007 suggests that the cells offered by Nutech Mediworld could be helpful for over 70 types of conditions, from Down鈥檚 syndrome to Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, and even vegetative states.
鈥淭he use of stem cells doesn鈥檛 make sense and may place the babies at considerable risk鈥�
Most treatments for children with Down鈥檚 syndrome centre on support 鈥� including speech and behavioural therapies. But in a study Shroff, reported that a baby with Down鈥檚 syndrome developed better understanding, improved limb muscle tone, and the ability to recognise his relatives after receiving stem cells (Journal of Medical Cases, ).
No controls
鈥淭here鈥檚 no comparison to similar individuals with Down鈥檚 syndrome, and no indication this therapy had any effect whatsoever, so the author has no basis at all for saying the injections were beneficial,鈥� says at University College London.
But since no other treatment was given, it is evident that the child鈥檚 improvements were due to stem cell treatment, says Titus. 鈥淗e started babbling and crawling, and his facial features underwent a change.鈥� The boy, who lives in Singapore, is now 3 years old. 鈥淗e continues to develop age-appropriate skills,鈥� says Titus.
Shroff鈥檚 study says she injected the cells, developed from a donated embryo, into his blood, back muscles and under his skin, as well as giving them as a nasal spray. 鈥淪tem cells have an innate ability to repair and regenerate, and that is how the baby鈥檚 condition improved,鈥� says Titus.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no obvious way in which this treatment would have worked,鈥� says at the Francis Crick Institute in London. To have any effect, neural stem cells would need to be injected into the brain, he says.
鈥淭he author appears to have no idea of where [the cells] are going, or what they鈥檙e doing,鈥� says Fisher. 鈥淚t鈥檚 even worse now we know they鈥檝e treated 14 patients, not just one.鈥�
Titus says that the way the cells were developed means recipients don鈥檛 need immunosuppressants. But Tybulewicz disagrees. 鈥淚 expect the most likely outcome of the injections would have been that they were recognised as foreign and eliminated by the immune system,鈥� he says. More details of the biological impact of the stem cells will be revealed in a study that has been submitted for publication, says Titus.
Nutech Mediworld isn鈥檛 the only clinic offering stem cells. An analysis led by Rasko last year identified advertising stem cell treatments directly to patients. Of these, 187 were linked to 215 clinics in the US. Thirty-five websites were linked to organisations in India.
Although India introduced national guidelines on clinical stem cell research and treatments a decade ago, these are not legally binding.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淐linic claims stem cells treat Down鈥檚 syndrome鈥�
