Autism and Crohn’s Disease

13-year-old male with history of severe autism and Crohn’s disease presented for stem cell therapy to address gastrointestinal symptoms, behavioral issues, and developmental delays. The patient was nonverbal until the age of 6, at which point he began to make basic requests after undergoing multiple non-traditional therapies. Early in his disease course, he exhibited significant self-injury behaviors, which his mother associated with gastrointestinal distress. He was later scoped and diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. After being treated for Crohn’s, he began making some developmental progress.

The patient underwent his first stem cell therapy in Panama in 2018, after the treatment he was able to go to the toilet independently for the first time. However, these gains were lost within a year. He then underwent four separate IV stem cell infusions of umbilical cord–derived stem cells at a clinic in California (approximately 110 million native non-expanded cells) combined with exosomes. Following his treatment in the U.S., his mother observed that the patient appeared more aware and present, with improved ability to follow commands, and his gastrointestinal cramping decreased. Right after therapy, patient was noticed to be more emotional, but later on his mood stabilized.

To date, the patient’s mother reports that stem cell therapy has contributed to multiple improvements in his autism spectrum symptoms. She notes that patient has better writing ability, improved attention, and increased eye contact and proactive engagement with both family members and therapists. He has also shown more focused behavior and new interests, such as independently going to the library, selecting books, and flipping through pages, demonstrating curiosity about materials that appeal to other children his age, even if he has not yet sat down to read them fully. Overall, stem cell therapy has brought about measurable improvements in both gastrointestinal and autism-related symptoms, supporting the patient’s developmental progress and quality of life.