8517
0
Posted on Jun 13, 2005, 7 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
Tooth stem cells show promise for someday being used to regenerate or save injured teeth and jawbones. They also could be used to correct a birth defect known as cleft palate, which currently requires multiple surgeries to repair, and possibly in treating Parkinson's disease and other disorders.
U.S. medical officials are encouraging private companies to create banks for stem cells obtained from baby and wisdom teeth that one day could prove useful for regenerating diseased or damaged tissue.
Read Full Story
"A few companies have contacted us about using the technology ... but none have come forward and said they want to bank these cells," Pamela Gehron Robey, of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, a division of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., told United Press International.
"We're hoping that some of this media attention will bring companies forward," Robey added, referring to coverage of a speech she made about tooth stem-cell research at the American Dental Association meeting in New York City.
So far, it does not appear many companies are biting.
Rita Kennen of the Cord Blood Registry in San Bruno, Calif., said her company also had not considered banking teeth stem cells.
Read Full Story
