PREMIERE: THE FIRST STEM CELL TRANSPLANT WAS PERFORMED IN ROMANIA, TO TREAT AUTISM, WITH A SAMPLE RELEASED BY STEM SURE

This medical premiere is the first transplant performed in Romania with the patient’s own stem cells harvested at birth. For the first time in our country, a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder was the beneficiary of a cell stem transplant.

The little girl is doing well post-transplant and will be kept under observation by the medical team, to follow the clinical evolution.

The sample was harvested in 2017 using the Stem Sure services, then processed by cell separation and cryopreservation for 4 years until the parents requested to use it. The parents made the decision to perform the autologous transplant (transplant with the patient’s own cells) in Bucharest. The transplant was performed this week.

Autism

Autism is considered a specter of neuro-psychiatric development disorders with a wide range of manifestations. The causes are currently unknown. Autism registers an increased incidence in the entire world. For example, in the US, 1 out of 59 children is diagnosed with the autism spectrum disorder, according to the data published in 2018 by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Compared to the statistics from 2012, a 15% increase in disease prevention is registered, according to the CDC.

Transplant stages

Preparing the documentation

In December 2018, the parents sent to Stem Sure a request for the release of the stem cell sample harvested at birth, to be used for the transplant. After that, the team that performed the transplant elaborated the medical documentation so as to certify that the sample was going to be used under diagnostic-specific medical conditions, in this case, autism.

Sample testing and validation

Next, the sample parameter verification stage followed (number of cells with a nucleus, number of stem cells, cellular viability, infectious markers, sample sterility), as well as the validity of the sample source by genetic HLA testing.

The bank colleagues responded promptly to all requests from the Romanian medical team. The sample documentation was elaborated and provided to the medical team, thus making it possible for the transplant procedure to be prepared in detail, step by step.

Given that all tests indicated that the sample meets the quality criteria to be securely used for the transplant, the next stage began.

Sample transplant

The cell stem transplant was performed in a private hospital in Bucharest. Bank specialists provided the medical team with the de-cryopreservation protocol, then the protocol for transferring the stem cell sample from the container where it was stored for the past 4 years into the transplant container, as well as the sample application medical protocol. All transplant steps have been presented clearly and in detail, facilitating the execution of the procedure under perfect conditions.

Before the actual transplant, the sample was submitted to one last quality check – the number of cells in the sample was checked again after de-cryopreservation. The result is a very good one: the sample maintained its cellularity characteristics since the moment it was harvested, for the entire bank storage period. It is a result that delights us and in which we take pride because it certifies that the processing procedure and then the bank storage procedure are of the best possible quality.

“The family searched for solutions for the situation they are dealing with. Thus, they decided to use the cell stem sample harvested at birth through Stem Sure. The cell stem treatment for autism is a non-standard innovative treatment, which benefits children from the entire world for a few years now. The Duke University Medical Center in the US is known in the entire world for the good results it obtained while applying cell stem treatment to children suffering from autism. We would very much like for our patient to obtain the very good post-transplant results that we expect, given the international experience we have had with centers such as the one mentioned above!” stated Dr. Bogdan Ivanescu, Stem Sure General Manager.

Stem Sure - 10 years of Romania

Stem Sure is the only stem cell company in Europe which, through its services, offers its clients the possibility to perform young stem cell transplants to treat leukemia and lymphoma, as well as adult micrograft transplants to treat wounds, diabetic foot or arthrosis.

“The reason the parents have decided to harvest stem cells from the little girl at birth, 4 years ago, was the desire to have treatment options along the way. And now they could benefit from this innovative treatment. As this was the first sample released by Stem Sure, this was a premiere for us, as well. But everything went well. We are glad that the little girl is doing well after the transplant. We hope that the results are good and that they will be shortly noticeable!” stated Dr. Bogdan Ivanescu, Stem Sure General Manager.