Many clinics in the USA give stem cell treatments to children with autism. The government does not say these treatments are safe.

美國許多診所為自閉症兒童提供幹細胞治療，但政府並未表示這些治療是安全的。

These treatments cost between $8,000 and $20,000. Some doctors give these cells, but they are not autism experts. A big study at Duke University showed that these treatments do not help children with autism.

這些治療的費用在 8,000 到 20,000 美元之間。有些醫生提供這些細胞，但他們並非自閉症專家。杜克大學的一項大型研究顯示，這些治療對自閉症兒童沒有幫助。

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants fewer rules for these clinics. He put people who like alternative medicine in the government. The government also gave less money for autism research.

衛生部長 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 希望減少對這些診所的規範。他將支持替代醫學的人員納入政府。政府也減少了對自閉症研究的資金投入。

Some parents go to Mexico or Thailand for these treatments. Some clinics use cells from animals. This is dangerous. The FDA says these treatments can cause blindness or tumors.

有些家長前往墨西哥或泰國接受這些治療。部分診所使用動物細胞，這是非常危險的。FDA 表示這些治療可能會導致失明或腫瘤。

Science says these treatments do not work, but some politicians and clinics still support them.

科學研究表明這些治療沒有效果，但仍有部分政治人物和診所予以支持。

An increasing number of clinics in the United States are providing stem cell treatments for autistic children that have not been approved by the FDA. This trend is happening at the same time as changes in policy led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

越來越多美國診所提供未經 FDA 批准的幹細胞治療來治療自閉症兒童。這一趨勢正與衛生部長 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 領導的政策變革同步發生。

Many of these clinics use stem cells from umbilical cords, often requiring patients to be sedated with ketamine. These sessions can cost between $8,000 and $20,000. Although these treatments are marketed as 'regenerative medicine,' they are often provided by doctors who specialize in other areas, such as plastic surgery. While some parents claim their children have improved, scientific evidence is lacking. For example, a major study by Duke University involving 180 children found that these treatments did not actually reduce autism symptoms.

許多診所使用臍帶幹細胞，且通常要求患者使用氯胺酮（ketamine）麻醉。這些療程的費用在 8,000 到 20,000 美元之間。雖然這些治療被標榜為「再生醫學」，但通常是由專攻其他領域（例如整形手術）的醫生提供。儘管部分家長聲稱孩子有所改善，但缺乏科學證據。例如，杜克大學一項涉及 180 名兒童的大型研究發現，這些治療實際上並未減輕自閉症症狀。

Government oversight is currently changing. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that he wants to reduce FDA restrictions on the 'wellness industry' and stop federal opposition to stem cell therapies. Consequently, the government has appointed supporters of alternative medicine to advisory roles and reduced federal autism research funding by about $31 million. Some clinics claim these procedures are legal under the 'Right to Try Act,' but legal experts emphasize that autism is not a 'life-threatening' condition, which is a requirement for that law to apply.

政府監管目前正在改變。衛生部長 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 表示，他希望減少 FDA 對「健康產業」的限制，並停止聯邦政府對幹細胞療法的反對。因此，政府任命了替代醫學的支持者擔任顧問角色，並將聯邦自閉症研究資金削減了約 3,100 萬美元。部分診所聲稱這些程序在「嘗試權法案」（Right to Try Act）下是合法的，但法律專家強調，自閉症並非「危及生命」的情況，而這是該法案適用的必要條件。

At the same time, US advocates are working more closely with international providers. For instance, a clinical trial is being planned in Mexico to test umbilical stem cells in 120 children. In some cases, more dangerous practices have been reported in Thailand, where fetal cells from sheep and rabbits are used. Biologists warn that this could cause severe immune reactions. Despite FDA warnings about risks like tumors or blindness, many families continue to seek these expensive treatments because they feel the government does not provide enough support for children with high needs.

與此同時，美國的倡導者正與國際供應商更緊密地合作。例如，墨西哥正計劃進行一項臨床試驗，在 120 名兒童身上測試臍帶幹細胞。在某些情況下，泰國出現了更危險的做法，使用了羊和兔的胎兒細胞。生物學家警告，這可能會導致嚴重的免疫反應。儘管 FDA 警告過可能導致腫瘤或失明等風險，但許多家庭仍繼續尋求這些昂貴的治療，因為他們認為政府對高需求兒童的支持不足。

The current situation shows a conflict between strict scientific standards and a growing market for alternative therapies that are supported by political influence.

目前的情況顯示，嚴格的科學標準與在政治影響下日益增長的替代療法市場之間存在衝突。

A growing number of clinics in the United States are administering non-FDA-approved stem cell treatments to autistic children, a trend coinciding with the policy orientations of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

美國越來越多診所正為自閉症兒童提供未經 FDA 核准的幹細胞治療，這一趨勢與衛生部長 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 的政策導向不謀而合。

The proliferation of these clinics is characterized by the administration of umbilical cord-derived stem cells, often involving ketamine sedation and costs ranging from $8,000 to $20,000 per session. These interventions are frequently marketed as 'regenerative medicine' by practitioners whose primary expertise may lie in unrelated fields, such as plastic surgery or orthopedics. While some parents report anecdotal improvements in behavioral and communicative functions, clinical evidence remains insufficient. A rigorous double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted by Duke University involving 180 children concluded that such treatments were not associated with a reduction in autism symptoms.

這些診所的擴張特點在於施用臍帶衍生幹細胞，通常涉及使用氯胺酮（ketamine）麻醉，每次費用介於 8,000 至 20,000 美元之間。這些干預措施經常被從事非相關領域（如整形外科或骨科）的從業者標榜為「再生醫學」。雖然部分家長報告在行為與溝通功能上有個案上的改善，但臨床證據仍不足。杜克大學針對 180 名兒童進行的一項嚴格雙盲、安慰劑對照研究結論指出，此類治療與自閉症症狀的减轻沒有關聯。

Institutional oversight appears to be in a state of flux. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed a desire to diminish the FDA's regulatory constraints on the 'wellness industry' and has specifically advocated for the cessation of federal opposition to stem cell therapies. This shift is evidenced by the appointment of alternative medicine proponents, such as Tracy Slepcevic, to the Autism Coordinating Committee and the reduction of federal autism research funding by approximately $31 million. Furthermore, some providers have attempted to justify the legality of these procedures by citing the 'Right to Try Act' or specific state statutes; however, legal experts assert that autism does not meet the 'life-threatening' criteria required by federal law, nor is it covered under the specific orthopedic and pain management provisions of Florida's relevant legislation.

體制監管似乎處於變動狀態。衛生部長 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 表示希望減少 FDA 對「健康產業」的監管限制，並明確主張停止聯邦政府對幹細胞療法的反對。這種轉變體現在任命如 Tracy Slepcevic 等替代醫學支持者進入自閉症協調委員會，以及將聯邦自閉症研究經費削減約 3,100 萬美元。此外，部分提供者試圖引用《嘗試權法案》（Right to Try Act）或特定州法律來證明這些程序的合法性；然而，法律專家主張自閉症並不符合聯邦法律要求的「危及生命」標準，亦不屬於佛羅里達州相關立法中關於骨科與疼痛管理的特定條款。

Concurrent with domestic expansion, a rapprochement between U.S. advocates and international providers has emerged. This is exemplified by a proposed clinical trial in Tijuana, Mexico, led by the Cellular Performance Institute, which intends to test umbilical stem cells in 120 children with the objective of eventually securing U.S. approval. More extreme practices have also been noted, including the administration of fetal sheep and rabbit stem cells in Thailand, a practice that biologists warn could trigger adverse immune responses. Despite FDA warnings regarding risks such as tumor formation and blindness, the perceived inadequacy of government support for high-needs autistic children continues to drive families toward these high-cost, unverified interventions.

在國內擴張的同時，美國倡導者與國際提供者之間出現了接洽。例如在墨西哥蒂華納由 Cellular Performance Institute 領導的一項擬議臨床試驗，擬在 120 名兒童身上測試臍帶幹細胞，目標是最終獲得美國核准。亦有更極端的做法被注意到，包括在泰國施用胎羊與胎兔幹細胞，生物學家警告這可能會觸發不良免疫反應。儘管 FDA 警告存在腫瘤形成與失明等風險，但由於感知到政府對高需求自閉症兒童的支持不足，持續驅使家庭選擇這些高成本且未經證實的干預措施。

The current landscape is defined by a tension between rigorous scientific standards and a burgeoning market of alternative therapies supported by high-level political influence.

目前的局面定義於嚴格的科學標準與在高層政治影響下迅速成長的替代療法市場之間的緊張關係。