Efficacy and Safety of Stem Cell Therapy in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

AIM: There is insufficient evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of stem cell therapy for autism spectrum disorders. We performed the first meta-analysis of stem cell therapy for autism spectrum disorders in children to provide evidence for clinical rehabilitation. METHODS: The data source includes PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and China Academic Journal, from inception to 24th JULY 2021. After sifting through the literature, the Cochrane tool was applied to assess the risk of bias. Finally, we extracted data from these studies and calculated pooled efficacy and safety. RESULTS: 5 studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in current analysis. Meta-analysis was performed using rehabilitation therapy as the reference standard. Data showed that the Childhood Autism Rating Scale score of stem cell group was striking lower than the control group (WMD: −5.96; 95%CI [−8.87, −3.06]; p < 0.0001). The Clinical Global Impression score consolidated effect size RR = 1.01, 95%CI [0.87, 1.18], Z = 0.14 (p = 0.89), the effective rate for The Clinical Global Impression was 62% and 60% in the stem cell group and the control group, respectively. The occurrence events of adverse reactions in each group (RR = 1.55; 95%CI = 0.60 to 3.98; p = 0.36), there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the stem cell group and the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this meta-analysis suggested that stem cell therapy for children with autism might be safe and effective. However, the evidence was compromised by the limitations in current study size, lacking standardized injection routes and doses of stem cells, as well as shortages in diagnostic tools and long period follow-up studies. Hence, it calls for more studies to systematically confirm the efficacy and safety of stem cell therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders.