Using Stem Cells to Cure Autism, Epilepsy & Schizophrenia | Dr. Sergiu Pașca

Andrew Huberman

Aug 18, 2025

Episode description

My guest is Dr. Sergiu Pașca, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University. We discuss the biology and genetics of autism, why autism diagnoses are increasing and recent progress in using stem cells to understand and treat profound autism and other brain disorders. Dr. Pașca explains “organoids and assembloids”—human stem cell–derived tools he pioneered to study, treat and cure complex brain diseases. We also discuss ethical and safety issues with using gene editing and stem cells in humans.

Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/rljiUj3

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*Dr. Sergiu Pasca*
Stanford academic profile: https://profiles.stanford.edu/sergiu-pasca
Lab website: https://med.stanford.edu/pascalab.html
TED talk: https://youtu.be/ABmRCdnVq3E?si=7_ST7beDu7eFMrPH
Stanford Brain Organogenesis: http://www.brainorganogenesis.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sergiu.p.pasca
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sergiuppasca.bsky.social
X: https://x.com/Sergiu_P_Pasca
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergiu-p-pașca-32891629

*Timestamps*
00:00:00 Sergiu Pașca
00:02:08 Autism Spectrum Disorder, Incidence, Genetics
00:07:16 Is Autism More Common in Males?
00:09:35 Sponsors: David & Helix Sleep
00:11:56 Eye Contact in Babies, Fever; Proposed Causes of Autism; Genes
00:18:48 Genetic or Idiopathic Autism Diagnoses, Timothy Syndrome
00:21:37 Rise in Autism Diagnoses
00:26:46 Cause, Correlation & Neurological Disease; Schizophrenia, Do Vaccines Cause Autism?
00:31:34 Global Increase in Autism; Gene Therapy, CRISPR, Follistatin
00:41:05 Sponsors: AG1 & BetterHelp
00:43:41 Stem Cells, Ethics, Yamanaka Factors, Human Stem Cell Models
00:52:03 Umbilical Stem Cells; Stem Cell Injections & Dangers, Autistic Kids
00:59:30 Organoids, Modeling Brain Development, Intrinsic Development Timer
01:12:22 Assembloids, Brain Cell Migration & Circuit Formation, Self-Organization
01:21:22 Four-Part Assembloid, Sensory Assembloid, Pain Conditions
01:25:45 Sponsor: Function
01:27:33 Future Medical Therapies, Cell Banking, Immortalize Tissues, Rejuvenate Cells
01:34:56 Assembloids & Ethics, Importance of Nomenclature, Science Collaboration & Self-Correction
01:45:38 Cell Transplantation & Ethics, Timing
01:55:05 Genetic Testing for Parents, Genetic Penetrance
02:02:36 Assembloids, Timothy Syndrome, Epilepsy, Schizophrenia, Dystonia
02:14:30 Scientific Career, Walking, Art, Medical School
02:20:44 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Episode description

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Understand ongoing myelination for brain efficiency into your 30s

The process of myelination, which makes neural signals more efficient, continues in the frontal parts of the brain all the way into your third decade of life.

#neurology

Discover brain cells' intrinsic developmental timer

Human brain cells grown in a dish follow an intrinsic developmental timer, automatically switching to a "post-birth" genetic signature at around nine months, independent of any external cues.

#cells

#neurology

Utilize Yamanaka factors to reverse cell age

A combination of just four genetic factors, known as Yamanaka factors, can turn an adult skin cell back into a pluripotent stem cell, bypassing the ethical issues of using embryonic stem cells.

#genetics

#stem-cell

Avoid stem cell tourism due to high risks and unknowns

Stem cell injections for conditions like autism, often sought in other countries, are incredibly risky as there is no biological rationale, and you often don't even know what cells are being injected.

#risk

#stem-cell

Acknowledge rising autism prevalence at nearly 3%

The prevalence of autism has risen to nearly 3% of the general population, a significant increase from when it was considered a rare disease.

#autism

Create organoids to enable self-organizing brain circuits

By creating the correct brain parts (organoids) and putting them together, the cells will self-organize and form functional circuits on their own, a process called assembloids.

#neurology

#stem-cell

Develop first therapy for Timothy syndrome using human stem cell models

A new therapeutic for Timothy syndrome, a form of profound autism, is the first for a psychiatric disease to be developed exclusively using human stem cell models without any animal models.

#autism

#stem-cell

Reframe autism as a behavioral observation, not a single disease

Autism is not a single disease but a behavioral observation, much like "fever" was in the 19th century, which could have been caused by anything from a virus to cancer.

#autism

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