Usurping the Tooth Fairy: Stem Cell Banks Now Harvesting Teeth
Posted Apr 28, 2011 in Management
The discovery in 2000 of stem cells in tooth pulp opened many doors for researchers, in part because teeth are a morally non-controversial source of the cells. The cells can be extracted from either wisdom teeth or baby teeth, although viability of the cells is reduced when teeth fall out on their own.
Researchers are using stem cells to grow nerve, tissue and bone cells and have already successfully engineered a mandibular condyle (TMJ) from rat stem cells. Jeremy Mao, DDS, PhD, professor at Columbia University and author of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study explains, "The TMJ is a synovial, or free-moving joint. So are the knee, hip and shoulder joint, all of which include rounded movable condyles. We certainly hope our results will be applicable to other synovial joints."
Stem cell applications from tooth pulp hold promise for cranial facial treatments, including:
Regeneration of damaged or missing...
