Intranasal administration of exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells ameliorates autistic-like behaviors of BTBR mice.
Nisim Perets, Stav Hertz, Michael London and 1 others
PMID 30479733WHAT IT FOUND
In an autism-like mouse strain, intranasal mesenchymal stem cell exosomes improved social interaction, communication calls, repetitive behavior, and maternal pup retrieval.
This is a mouse model finding, not evidence that the treatment works in people with autism.
Key findings
01BTBR mice treated with stem cell exosomes spent significantly more time in social interaction after treatment than before, while BTBR saline and C57BL saline groups did not change.
02BTBR males treated with stem cell exosomes emitted 571 ± 74 ultrasonic syllables, compared with 317 ± 39.4 in BTBR saline males and 854.5 ± 65.2 in C57BL males.
03After treatment, BTBR mothers treated with stem cell exosomes retrieved 18/18 pups, while BTBR saline mothers retrieved only 2/24 pups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study was done in mice, not in people with autism, so it cannot show whether the treatment would help a patient. The authors state that the number of mice per group is small, which limits confidence in the behavioral findings. The BTBR mouse is one autism-like model, and the authors say other models should be tested. The exosome preparation contains many proteins and RNAs, so the active component is unknown. The study tested mouse behaviors, not human speech, language, occupational, or physical therapy outcomes. The paper does not test an intervention that therapists deliver.
Declared interests
The article text does not include a conflict of interest or funding declaration. The supplied metadata lists research support from a non-U.S. government source.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that intranasal stem cell exosomes can treat autism in people. The evidence comes from BTBR mice, small groups, and behavior tests, not from human therapy or clinical outcomes.