Baby’s teeth cells can behave like stem cells. They will multiply and remain alive in culture for months. They will differentiate into a variety of other types of cells, including nerve-like cells, dentin, bone and fat cells.

In 2003, Dr. Songtao, a pediatric dentist and stem cell researcher, rushed the newly broken tooth of his 6-year old daughter to the lab, extracted the pulp, broke it apart into individual cells, and placed the cells in a Petri dish with culture medium. After incubating the dish in a hot, humid environment with ample oxygen, some of the tooth cells started to grow.

Since then, a handful of private dental pulp labs have sprung up, giving parents an opportunity – for a price – to store their children’s baby teeth in order to ensure that the stem cells are available should their child develop a life-threatening illness years down the road.

As Dr. Matzilevich notes, Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs), the type that are found in dental pulp, have been shown to differentiate into a variety of other cell types including cardiac, muscle, bone, cartilage, nerve and fat tissues. “While future regenerative therapies and treatments for disease still need to be thoroughly researched and approved by the FDA, we are making incremental progress. MSCs harvested from bone marrow are currently being used in human trials; animal testing has shown significant progress in regenerating teeth with dental pulp stem cells; and human trials using these stem cells will soon be underway. Ultimately, the decision to bank one’s dental pulp is a personal one, and it is our mission to ensure that it is also an informed one.”

Television Spot: Stem cells in baby teeth www.today.msnbc.msn.com

Article adopted with courtesy from: http://www.worldhealth.net/news/baby_teeth_may_one_day_be_a_life-saver_s