How biomarkers guide autism stem cell dosing
We review the five lab panels that allow physicians to tailor cell counts and infusion intervals for each child.
Every child who enters our autism stem cell program receives a personalised dosing plan — not a fixed protocol. The foundation of that plan is a set of five biomarker panels drawn before the first infusion and repeated at the six-week mark.
Why standard doses fall short
Stem cell therapy is not a one-size-fits-all intervention. Two children with identical ADOS-2 scores can have vastly different inflammatory profiles, gut microbiome compositions and immune activation states. Ignoring those differences means accepting unnecessary variability in outcomes.
The five panels we rely on
1. Inflammatory cytokine array
We measure IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α and IFN-γ. Elevated neuroinflammatory markers tell us we need a higher cell count and a two-phase infusion schedule rather than a single bolus.
2. Oxidative stress markers
Glutathione, 8-isoprostane and total antioxidant capacity guide whether IV NAD+ supplementation should precede the stem cell infusion by 48 hours.
3. Gut permeability assessment
Zonulin and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein levels predict how much of the systemic inflammatory load originates in the gut. High permeability triggers a four-week microbiome preparation phase before cells are administered.
4. Immune subset profiling
Flow cytometry of CD4/CD8 ratios, natural killer cell activity and regulatory T-cell counts determines whether the child's immune system is likely to tolerate allogeneic cells or whether autologous cells are the safer choice.
5. Metabolic and mitochondrial panel
Lactate-to-pyruvate ratio, CoQ10 and carnitine levels reveal mitochondrial efficiency. Poor mitochondrial function predicts slower engraftment and informs the decision to add targeted metabolic support alongside infusion.
Reading the results together
No single marker drives the decision in isolation. Our medical team scores each panel and applies a weighting algorithm developed over four years of outcome data. The result is a three-tier dosing recommendation — standard, enhanced or intensive — with infusion schedules ranging from a single session to three sessions across ten days.
What families can expect
Before travel is confirmed, every family receives a biomarker report written in plain language. The report explains what each result means, which dosing tier their child falls into and what the scientific rationale is. No jargon, no unexplained numbers.
Follow-up panels at six weeks allow us to adjust the second-phase protocol if the child's inflammatory and immune markers have shifted — which, in our experience, they almost always do in a positive direction.