Using Stem Cells from Teeth to Regrow Injured Teeth

An interesting article titled “Deciduous autologous tooth stem cells regenerate dental pulp after implantation into injured teeth,” by Xuan et al. appears in Science Translational Medicine (vol. 10, no. 455, 2018, Published August 22, 2018). The article discusses the results of a clinical trial using stem cells extracted from baby teeth to regrow tissue in teeth that have been injured. In the past articles on this site have discussed storing wisdom teeth stem cells with the hopes that they could one day be used to heal other body tissues. While this study did not use stem cells from wisdom teeth, but instead stem cells from baby teeth, it helps demonstrate some of the possibilities that may exist in the future. In the study by Xuan et al., the authors were motivated by some previous studies with mice. A further motivation … Read more