StemCell Therapy

Stem cells from wisdom teeth could help repair corneas

Stem cells inside your teeth could one day help repair eye scratches that cause blindness, scientists report February 23 in Stem Cells Translational Medicine. Read article >

Corneal disease causes nearly 10 percent of blindness cases worldwide, and the condition is typically treated with donor corneas. But researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have discovered that stem cells from the dental pulp of wisdom teeth can be manipulated to form cells of the eyes cornea a finding that may provide an easier procedure to repair corneal scarring. Read article >

Stem cells from the dental pulp of wisdom teeth can be coaxed to turn into cells of the eye's cornea and could one day be used to repair corneal scarring due to infection or injury, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The findings, published online today in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, indicate they also could become a new source of corneal transplant tissue made from the patient's own cells. Read article >

Recent research aimed at finding a treatment for a common form of blindness could give new meaning to the term "eye teeth." In a study in mice published in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh show how stem cells harvested from teeth extracted during routine dental procedures can potentially be used to restore sight in those suffering from corneal blindness. Read article >

Today Shows Chief Medical Editor, Dr. Nancy Snyderman discusses dental stem cells - click here to view the Today Show Health segment.

We are thrilled to report an exciting development in stem cell research: the first human study using dental stem cells was published November 12th in the European Cells and Materials journal! This is great news for National Dental Pulp Laboratory, which stores dental stem cells and has long believed in their potential for future medical use.

In the study, patients had wisdom teeth that were impacted, which caused bone loss (resorption) at the site of impaction. Because the bone defect would not repair on its own after the wisdom teeth were removed, the researchers used a mixture of dental pulp stem cells harvested from the patient's non-impacted, upper wisdom teeth and placed them onto a "scaffold" made of collagen sponge. This mixture was then used to fill in the injured areas that were left when the impacted teeth were removed from the lower jaw. (The upper jaw area served as a control, or comparison, area-no dental stem cells were used there).

Three months after treatment, bone had completely regenerated at the injury site and the periodontal tissue had been restored. Optimal bone regeneration was seen in the seven patients who returned for the one year follow up. The investigators concluded that this clinical study demonstrates that dental stem cells and a collagen sponge scaffold can completely restore bone defects in the human jaw and indicates that these cells have the potential to repair and/or regenerate tissues and organs.

Previously, jaw defects had been repaired using dental stem cells in an animal model only-never in humans. In fact, no dental stem cell therapies have ever been shown in humans. As you can guess, this bone grafting study is very exciting for all of us who believe in the future promise of dental stem cell therapies-whether a dental stem cell banking facility like our own NDPL, or individuals who want to preserve their own or their children's pulp in order to have a source of stem cells that they might be able to put to use for future medical needs.

Read more from the original source:
National Dental Pulp Laboratory | Stem Cell News

This entry was posted on August 4, 2016 at 9:42 am and is filed under Dental Stem Cells. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |