Diagnosis Of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Is currently based On Psychological And Behavioral Evaluations
These tests:
- cannot be performed on infants and very young children below 18 months of age
- require social and language skills
- require child cooperation
- are time-consuming and expensive.
Yet early signs of ASD are often apparent at the infant stage of development, including lack of eye movement, smiles and response to the environment. If at this stage, a simple blood test was available to objectively diagnose ASD, earlier clinical therapeutic intervention would be possible and more likely to be successful due to brain plasticity of the developing child.
Research: Search for Biomarkers to Identify ASD Patients
Cell-El is working to identify blood-borne, ASD-specific diagnostic markers. Using proteomics our initial analysis of a broad panel of serum proteins has identified a pattern of biomarkers that can be used to discriminate between typically developed (TD) children and those on the autism spectrum.
Read more about our scientific method and published research:
- Published February 2023:Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis using a New Panel of Immune – and Inflammatory – Related Serum Biomarkers: A Case-Control Multicenter Study Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with distinctive clinical features. No objective laboratory assay has been developed to establish a diagnosis of ASD. Considering the known immunological associations with ASD, immunological biomarkers might enable ASD diagnosis and intervention at an early age when the immature brain has the highest degree of plasticity. This work aimed to identify diagnostic biomarkers discriminating between children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children. Read more (Frontiers in Pediatrics, February 2023)
- Biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): A Meta-analysis (Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal, October 2019)
- Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) – Searching for the Biological Basis for Behavioral Symptoms and New Therapeutic Targets, (Frontiers in Neuroscience and Frontiers in Pediatrics February 2017) Journal edited, introductory article and paper on page 117 written by Dr. Gesundheit and other members of the Cell-El Ltd. team
- Therapeutic Properties of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Medical Hypotheses (Medical Hypotheses, December 2014)
- Immunological and Autoimmune Considerations of Autism Spectrum Disorders (Journal of Autoimmunity, 2013)
Make a Difference
By having your child or patient participate in Cell-El’s diagnostic research, you can make a difference to the future therapies available for ASD.
What's involved
- Fill out the appropriate form under Join Our Team in the column to the right
- A phone screening with Leah (approximately 5 minutes)
- A simple blood test where 5 ml of blood will be drawn
- Filling out a family medical history questionnaire (about 20 minutes)
Inclusion Criteria
We look forward to your participation in the Cell-El diagnostic study. Please read the information below regarding the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the following cohorts: Infants and their mothers and Stem Cell Therapy (SCT). Then please fill out the appropriate form.
- Cohort of infants and their mothers: Mothers of high-risk infants and infants aged 10-18 months not diagnosed with ASD but with a sibling diagnosed with ASD according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV (299.00) or DSM-V (299.00) ± ADOS (herein termed “high-risk infants”) or
- Cohort of children pre and post SCT: Male and female children age 2-12 years Diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV (299.00) or DSM-V (299.00) undergoing stem cell therapy.
- For both cohorts: Informed consent signed by the parents
Exclusion Criteria
- For both cohorts: Child and/or mother that have been treated with systemic steroids or have undergone immune suppression treatment within the last 6 months
- Child and/or mother diagnosed with severe infectious diseases or sepsis over the last 6 months
- Child and/or mother with hematological or malignant disorder
- For children in the SCT cohort: No new planned treatment (other than SCT) for at least 6 months from planned stem cell transplantation date and no new treatments (other than SCT) started within 6 months before planned transplantation date.
- Child with ASD treated for a severe convulsive disorder
Join Our Team
Thank you for taking the next step in joining Cell-El and finding a biological therapy for ASD. Please fill out the appropriate form below and we will contact you.
Parent's Form
If you are a parent of a child diagnosed with ASD, please fill out the form below.
Clinician's Form
If you are a clinician treating children diagnosed with ASD, please fill out the form below.