Platelet-Rich Plasma for Autism: What Florida Clinics Claim, and What the Evidence Shows
Clinics in Florida are offering parents platelet-rich plasma, often as an intravenous infusion, for children with autism. No randomized trial has ever shown that it works.
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This page documents advertising. None of the clinics or practitioners named here has been found guilty of professional misconduct over the matters described, and we do not suggest otherwise. Every claim attributed to a clinic is quoted or closely paraphrased from its own website or from its listing on the TruDOSE provider directory, as those pages stood on 15 October 2026. Where a claim appears only on the TruDOSE listing, we say so.
No published randomized trial shows that PRP improves autism. The best controlled evidence for a related idea, giving a child an intravenous infusion of their own blood product, is negative.
Platelet-rich plasma is made by drawing a patient's blood, spinning it in a centrifuge and concentrating the platelets. It is used, with mixed evidence, as an injection for some tendon and joint problems. Several Florida clinics now sell it for autism. Four of the five we found offer it as an intravenous infusion branded TruDOSE, with the dose calculated by proprietary software.
The closest controlled trial is Duke University's study of 180 children with autism aged 2 to 7. They received a single intravenous infusion of their own banked umbilical cord blood, donor cord blood, or a placebo. The authors concluded that "a single infusion of CB was not associated with improved socialization skills or reduced autism symptoms."1 The only published report we could find of PRP used for autism describes a single 8-year-old at a commercial clinic in Indonesia. That child also received stromal vascular fraction cells at the same time, so no effect can be attributed to PRP.5
Claims against the evidence
| What is claimed | Who says it | What the evidence shows | Verdict | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRP is a "breakthrough" therapy that promotes "neurological regeneration" and could bring "measurable improvements in communication, social interaction" | We The People Health and Wellness Center, Venice | No randomized trial of PRP for autism has been published. In the closest controlled trial, IV cord blood in 180 children did not improve social skills or autism symptoms. | Unsupported | [1] [2] [C1] |
| PRP is "safe" | We The People, Venice | We found no pediatric safety data for IV PRP. The main IV PRP safety paper (611 patients) comes from a single commercial clinic in Jakarta and does not report patients' ages. FDA warns that products made from a patient's own cells can still cause infection, contamination and reactions. | Unestablished in children | [3] [4] |
| "Because TruDOSE PRP uses the child's own blood, the risk of complications is very low" | Integrative Hospital Associates, Davie | Using the child's own blood does not remove the risks of needles, IV lines, processing or infection. The same page concedes that "large-scale clinical trials are still ongoing." | Answers the wrong question | [3] [C2] |
| Growth factors "modulate the immune response"; parents report gains in "cognitive function, attention, and emotional regulation"; may "stimulate the body's serotonin" | Integrative Hospital Associates, Davie | Platelet and serotonin findings in autism come from biomarker research, not treatment trials. Reports from paying parents are not evidence of effect. The page gives no source for the serotonin claim. | Anecdote, not evidence | [6] [C2] |
| Dose-specific IV platelets cross the blood-brain barrier | A TruDOSE patient ambassador, on a podcast promoting the treatment | We found no published study showing this. It is a marketing assertion. | No evidence found | [9] |
| "Advanced PRP and cellular therapy options for ASD," supported by a cited review of 11 trials and 461 patients | Premier Wellness Florida, Cape Coral | The page does not show that the cited review included any PRP trial. Its own disclaimer says the treatments "are investigational" and "have not been FDA-approved for the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder." | Contradicted by own disclaimer | [3] [C3] |
| Autism and PANS/PANDAS listed among conditions TruDOSE "supports" | TruDOSE listings for clinics in Jacksonville, Sarasota and Davie | The listings offer no outcome data for any condition. | No evidence offered | [C4] [C5] [C6] |
Swipe sideways to see the full table on a phone.
One clinic in detail: We The People, Venice
Download: image (PNG) · PDF · web version
For sharing: which Florida rules apply (JPG)
The risks
When a treatment has no proven benefit, every risk is a net harm. These are the main risks of IV PRP for an autistic child.
| Risk | Why it matters for these children | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Distress, pain and restraint | A blood draw and an IV line are hard on many autistic children, who may have sensory sensitivities and limited ability to communicate. Children with intellectual disability reported more pain and anxiety during needle procedures, even though they were given more pain-relief techniques. A course of repeated infusions multiplies this. | [7] |
| Infection and contamination | Blood is handled outside the body and returned into a vein. FDA lists bacterial infection, "including life-threatening blood infections," and contamination with bacteria, viruses or mould among the risks of unapproved regenerative products. | [3] |
| Unvalidated dosing | The dose is set by proprietary software with no published validation and no pediatric dosing data. None of the clinic pages shows that its preparation equipment is cleared for intravenous reinfusion. | [C7] |
| Added products | Some clinics combine PRP with umbilical cord or placental "cellular" products. FDA links unapproved regenerative products to blindness, tumour formation and neurological events. | [3] [C3] |
| Delay of effective care | FDA counts the failure of an unproven therapy, when effective care exists, as a harm in its own right. Time and money spent on infusions can displace speech, behavioural and developmental services. | [3] |
| Research without safeguards | One clinic is recruiting children for a "study" that names no review board, protocol, investigator or trial registration. A promotional webinar says the study is free and that IRB approval is "pending," but the clinic is recruiting before any approval. Children enrolled before approval would not have the protections required for pediatric research. | [C1] [C8] |
Florida clinics advertising PRP for autism
We found five. For two of them, the autism claim appears on the TruDOSE provider listing rather than on the clinic's own website. A listing or a shared address does not show that a named practitioner personally gives PRP to children.
| Clinic | City | Practitioners listed | Autism claim | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| We The People Health and Wellness Center | Venice (959 E Venice Ave) | Joseph Chirillo, MD; Kathryn Collins, APRN, PhD. The Florida licence record for Viliam Makis, MD (ME183817, issued 7 Aug 2026) gives this address as his address of record. | Recruits children with autism into a PRP "breakthrough study"; calls PRP safe and regenerative. KFF Health News reported that children are treated there for autism with "an experimental blood concentrate." | Clinic's own site [C1]; [8] |
| Integrative Hospital Associates | Davie (4801 S University Dr) | Scott Denny (lists PhD, DC, AP, DOM, LAc); Justine Denny Marlowe, DNP, APRN | Blog post, "The Potential of TruDose PRP Therapy for Children with Autism": complication risk "very low," with parent-reported gains in cognition and attention. | Clinic's own site [C2]; TruDOSE listing [C6] |
| Premier Wellness Florida | Cape Coral (3515 Del Prado Blvd S) | None named | "Advanced PRP and cellular therapy options for ASD"; lists less self-stimulatory behaviour, better eye contact and improved speech. | Clinic's own site [C3] |
| Mandarin Wellness Center | Jacksonville (9283 San Jose Blvd) | Raphael "Tito" Balbino, MD | Autism and PANS/PANDAS listed among conditions TruDOSE "supports." | TruDOSE listing only [C4] |
| DaSilva Institute | Sarasota (3131 S Tamiami Trail) | Arielle Bennett, APRN | Tagged "PANS/PANDAS/Autism" as a TruDOSE focus area. | TruDOSE listing only [C5] |
TruDOSE's public map also shows a location at Panacea Biomedical Institute, Pompano Beach. We found no autism claim from it, so it is not listed.
This is not only a Florida story. TruDOSE itself tags 48 providers in 22 states for autism. See TruDOSE and autism: one company, 48 clinics.
What we do not know
- Whether any clinic other than We The People has actually treated a child with PRP for autism. The KFF report is the only independent account of that.
- What any of the clinics charges. None publishes a price for autism treatment.
- Whether each listed practitioner personally orders or gives PRP to children.
- Whether the autism tags on TruDOSE listings were written by the clinics or by TruDOSE.
- How many other clinics offer this. TruDOSE's public map shows only some providers, and others are listed behind a patient portal.
Corrections are welcome. If a clinic named here has changed its advertising, or has evidence we have missed, we will update this page.
How to file a concern
This is a general guide for anyone with a concern about any practitioner or product. It is not a statement about anyone named on this page. Neither agency offers a video walkthrough, so the steps are set out here.
About a doctor, nurse or other licensed practitioner in Florida: Florida Department of Health
- Go to the Department's complaints page and choose the online Health Care Complaint Portal. Complaints against licensed practitioners cannot be made by phone. If you prefer paper, use the complaint form (PDF) and mail it to the Consumer Services Unit, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C-75, Tallahassee, FL 32399-3275.
- File one complaint per practitioner. Give the person's full name and, if you can, their licence number from the Department's licence lookup.
- Say what happened or what was advertised, with dates. Quote the words that concern you rather than summarising them.
- Attach evidence: screenshots or PDFs of web pages, showing the date you captured them, plus any receipts or records.
- Give your contact details. You can file anonymously, but the Department may close a complaint it cannot follow up.
- Keep the confirmation and any file number, and quote it in every follow-up.
About an unapproved device, drug or treatment, anywhere in the U.S.: FDA
- Use FDA's Reporting Allegations of Regulatory Misconduct page, or email CDRHDeviceAllegations@fda.hhs.gov.
- Name the clinic or company, its address and website, and the product or treatment.
- Describe the claim and why you think it is unapproved or misleading. Attach the same dated captures.
- Include your contact details if you want a reply. FDA acknowledges reports and assigns a tracking number when it can reach you.
If a child or adult has actually been harmed, also report it to FDA's MedWatch program, and seek medical care first.
Related on QuackeryWatch: TruDOSE and autism: 48 clinics · Chelation for autism · Peptides and BPC-157 · Evidence chart: We The People, Venice · Ladapo and the Venice clinic · All Dubious Rx entries
- Dawson G, et al. 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. J Pediatr 2020;222:164-173. scholars.duke.edu/publication/1442026
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02847182, Cord Blood Infusion for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Duke ACT). clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02847182
- U.S. FDA, Important Patient and Consumer Information About Regenerative Medicine Therapies (updated 8 April 2024). fda.gov
- Karina K, et al. Evaluating the safety of intravenous delivery of autologous activated platelet-rich plasma. J Health Sci 2021;11(2):61-65. jhsci.ba
- Single case report: 8-year-old with autism given stromal vascular fraction and activated PRP, Indonesia (summary). synapsesocial.com
- Blood platelet research in autism spectrum disorders: in search of biomarkers. PMC6781926
- Pascolo P, et al. Needle-related pain and distress management during needle-related procedures in children with and without intellectual disability. Eur J Pediatr 2018. doi:10.1007/s00431-018-3237-4
- Allen A. The 'medical freedom' movement finds its base camp at the Hollow in Sarasota County. KFF Health News via WUSF, 31 October 2025. wusf.org
- Integrative Cancer Solutions podcast episode with a TruDOSE patient ambassador, 1 June 2026. podcastaddict.com
- [C1] We The People, PRP Autism Study: wtphealthcare.com/autismstudy
- [C2] Integrative Hospital Associates, blog: drscottdenny.com
- [C3] Premier Wellness Florida, autism page: premierwellnessflorida.com/autism
- [C4] TruDOSE listing, Mandarin Wellness Center: trudose.com
- [C5] TruDOSE listing, DaSilva Institute: trudose.com
- [C6] TruDOSE listing, Integrative Hospital Associates: trudose.com
- [C8] Documenting Hope webinar, TruDOSE PRP with Tapley Holland and Adam Breiner, ND (promotional; says the Venice study is free and "pending IRB approval"): documentinghope.com
- [C7] We The People, IV PRP Therapy: wtphealthcare.com/iv-prp-therapy