Browsing by Author "Howard, Jill"

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    A Phase II Randomized Clinical Trial of the Safety and Efficacy of Intravenous Umbilical Cord Blood Infusion for Treatment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
    (The Journal of pediatrics, 2020-07) Dawson, Geraldine; Sun, Jessica M; Baker, Jennifer; Carpenter, Kimberly; Compton, Scott; Deaver, Megan; Franz, Lauren; Heilbron, Nicole; Herold, Brianna; Horrigan, Joseph; Howard, Jill; Kosinski, Andrzej; Major, Samantha; Murias, Michael; Page, Kristin; Prasad, Vinod K; Sabatos-DeVito, Maura; Sanfilippo, Fred; Sikich, Linmarie; Simmons, Ryan; Song, Allen; Vermeer, Saritha; Waters-Pick, Barbara; Troy, Jesse; Kurtzberg, Joanne

    Objective

    To evaluate whether umbilical cord blood (CB) infusion is safe and associated with improved social and communication abilities in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

    Study design

    This prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study included 180 children with ASD, aged 2-7 years, who received a single intravenous autologous (n = 56) or allogeneic (n = 63) CB infusion vs placebo (n = 61) and were evaluated at 6 months postinfusion.

    Results

    CB infusion was safe and well tolerated. Analysis of the entire sample showed no evidence that CB was associated with improvements in the primary outcome, social communication (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-3 [VABS-3] Socialization Domain), or the secondary outcomes, autism symptoms (Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory) and vocabulary (Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test). There was also no overall evidence of differential effects by type of CB infused. In a subanalysis of children without intellectual disability (ID), allogeneic, but not autologous, CB was associated with improvement in a larger percentage of children on the clinician-rated Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale, but the OR for improvement was not significant. Children without ID treated with CB showed significant improvements in communication skills (VABS-3 Communication Domain), and exploratory measures including attention to toys and sustained attention (eye-tracking) and increased alpha and beta electroencephalographic power.

    Conclusions

    Overall, a single infusion of CB was not associated with improved socialization skills or reduced autism symptoms. More research is warranted to determine whether CB infusion is an effective treatment for some children with ASD.
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    Brief Report: Classifying Rates of Students with Autism and Intellectual Disability in North Carolina: Roles of Race and Economic Disadvantage.
    (Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2020-05-13) Howard, Jill; Copeland, J Nathan; Gifford, Elizabeth J; Lawson, Jennifer; Bai, Yu; Heilbron, Nicole; Maslow, Gary
    We examined special education classifications among students aged 3-21 in North Carolina public schools, highlighting autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). Results revealed variability by county in ASD and ID prevalence, and in county-level ratios of ID vs. ASD classifications. Sociodemographic characteristics predicted proportion of ASD or ID within a county; correlations showed an association between race and ID, but not ASD. County's median household income predicted proportion of students classified as ASD and ID (opposite directions), controlling for number of students and gender. Variability was unlikely related to biological incidence, and more likely related to district/school practices, or differences in resources. Disparities warrant further examination to ensure that North Carolina's youth with disabilities access necessary, appropriate resources.
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    Distance from Typical Scan Path When Viewing Complex Stimuli in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and its Association with Behavior
    (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders) Tenenbaum, Elena J; Major, Samantha; Carpenter, Kimberly LH; Howard, Jill; Murias, Michael; Dawson, Geraldine
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    Infusion of human umbilical cord tissue mesenchymal stromal cells in children with autism spectrum disorder.
    (Stem cells translational medicine, 2020-10) Sun, Jessica M; Dawson, Geraldine; Franz, Lauren; Howard, Jill; McLaughlin, Colleen; Kistler, Bethany; Waters-Pick, Barbara; Meadows, Norin; Troy, Jesse; Kurtzberg, Joanne
    Ongoing neuroinflammation may contribute to symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in at least a portion of affected individuals. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have demonstrated the capacity to modulate neuroinflammation, but safety and feasibility of MSC administration in children with ASD have not been well established. In this open-label, phase I study, 12 children with ASD between 4 and 9 years of age were treated with intravenous (IV) infusions of human cord tissue mesenchymal stromal cells (hCT-MSCs), a third-party MSC product manufactured from unrelated donor umbilical cord tissue. Children received one, two, or three doses of 2 × 106 cells per kilogram at 2-month intervals. Clinical and laboratory evaluations were performed in person at baseline and 6 months and remotely at 12 months after the final infusion. Aside from agitation during the IV placement and infusion in some participants, hCT-MSCs were well tolerated. Five participants developed new class I anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies, associated with a specific lot of hCT-MSCs or with a partial HLA match between donor and recipient. These antibodies were clinically silent and not associated with any clinical manifestations to date. Six of 12 participants demonstrated improvement in at least two ASD-specific measures. Manufacturing and administration of hCT-MSCs appear to be safe and feasible in young children with ASD. Efficacy will be evaluated in a subsequent phase II randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.