A Massachusetts lab is banking stem cells from children’s freshly extracted teeth to provide a potential source of cell-regeneration therapies for ailments including type 1 diabetes.
Provia Laboratories of Lexington stresses that its Store-A-Tooth service is an investment in a still-developing technology, according to Diabetes Mine. Dental stem cells have not yet been used to treat diabetes — right now they are being used for bone regeneration and periodontal disease — but researchers do see potential, says Provia chief Howard Greenman.
Australian researchers have show the cells can induce nerve regeneration and differentiate into neurons, while a study in Spain shows the cells can bolster cardiovascular function in rats following heart attacks.
The fee for Provia’s service starts out at $649 for the tooth collection and processing, plus $120 annually for keeping the tissue preserved. The baby teeth or wisdom teeth must be freshly removed in order for the stem cells to be extracted intact.
Among Provia’s customers are parents who, unaware their children would develop diabetes, missed the opportunity to preserve their child’s core blood stem cells at birth, Greenman says.
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