Fast Growing Stem Cells Found In Wisdom Teeth
Related News: Bone and Cartilage, Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and LiverIt was quite a long time ago since we looked at stem cells and teeth. The focus here is a little different as these stem cells derived from cells within teeth are being used to differentiate into either bone or liver tissue.
The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology's Research Institute (AIST) for Cell Engineering is working with a team of researchers from Osaka University in Japan and have succeeded in repairing damaged liver and bones in rats by injecting stem cells derived from wisdom tooth germ.
The finding raises hopes of developing regenerative medical procedures using discarded wisdom teeth germ during orthodontic treatments.
As a tooth is formed, the tooth germ disappears. However, in the case of wisdom teeth that remain in the jawbone of a human until the age of 10 to 16, the lifespan of the tooth germ is longer.
The research showed that stem cells derived from wisdom tooth germ grew significantly more quickly than stem cells taken from bone marrow.
The team also discovered that tooth germ stem cells can differentiate into bone, nerves or liver cells by stimulating them with hormones.
More in Japan - Japanese scientists discover fast-growing stem cell
Posted on March 10, 2006 11:48 PM