A Madison stem cell company has developed a blood test that could enable earlier diagnosis and treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders, according to research published in a major scientific journal Friday.
The findings by Stemina Biomarker Discovery, which collaborated with the MIND Institute at the University of California-Davis, could lead to treatment of children at a younger age that would be individually tailored to a childs condition.
What we think were going to revolutionize is not only diagnosing earlier but also being able to distinguish one child with autism from another based on their metabolism, said Stemina chief executive Beth Donley. Autism is a very diverse disorder. Kids have very different behaviors and cognitive abilities. Some are extraordinarily smart but socially awkward. Some are non-verbal.
Through early diagnosis, she said, its possible to determine whether relatively simple treatments such as modified diet or dietary supplements would be effective or whether more extensive drug treatment is needed.
Not everyone who has autism is the same, and they dont all respond to the same treatment, Donley said.
The current average age of diagnosis in the United States is 4.5 years. Blood testing can diagnose children as early as age 2 , she said.
The research published in the journal PLOS ONE showed that Stemina was able to identify a patient with autism from a typically developing child with 81 percent accuracy.
Two subsequent studies have shown equal or slightly greater accuracy, Donley said.
The next step for Stemina is to conduct its own clinical study involving 1,500 children. The company has secured a lead investor, and the study could begin in April and last for two years, with a target of late 2017 for the launch of the first generation of the blood test.
Recent studies show that one in 68 children is diagnosed with some form of autism.
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Madison firm makes progress in autism diagnosis, treatment