And the deciduous teeth contain stem cells
Prospects for the use of stem cells from deciduous teeth in Regenerative Medicine of permanent teeth
Deciduous teeth and wisdom teeth are an important source of mesenchymal stem cells, similar to those from the umbilical cord. However, they have an important advantage:
During human development, part of the tooth is generated by the nervous system. This means that a percentage of the tooth stem cells retain neural stem cell characteristics, a property that stem cells from umbilical cord tissue do not possess.
This specialized population constitutes approximately 5% of the stem cells of deciduous teeth and has already been used experimentally in the repair of peripheral nerves after injury.
Although each deciduous tooth contains a smaller number of stem cells than umbilical cord tissue, their common origin with the nervous system makes them particularly valuable for applications in regenerative medicine of the nervous system.
The remaining cell populations of deciduous teeth are being tested in the creation of two individual tissues of permanent teeth, useful in their regeneration.
The tooth is a complex organ, with a particular shape and organization. Two separate lines of stem cells contribute to its creation, which play a crucial role in the formation of the dental roots and the surrounding alveolar bone.
The replacement of lost teeth has been based for years on artificial solutions such as implants and dentures. Although effective, these options cannot fully reproduce
the structure, function and physical feel of a real tooth. That is why scientists have been trying for decades to understand how teeth are formed with the goal of one day being able to regenerate them naturally.
The process of tooth formation is extremely complex and depends on the coordination of many different types of cells and tissues, such as the dental pulp, the enamel organ and the cells that form the jaw bone. The nervous system also participates in the formation and maintenance of teeth, and for this reason, in cases of aponeurosis,
where the nerve of the tooth is destroyed, the tooth in the following years dies and falls out. Denervation relieved us of the pain, but led to the necrosis of the tooth.
The research
To fill these knowledge gaps, a team led by Assistant Professor Mizuki Nagata from the Department of Periodontology, School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Science, and Wanida Ono from the University of Texas Medical Science Center collaborated with researchers from the University of Michigan and other institutions.
The team initially identified a population of mesenchymal stem cells in the pulp of deciduous teeth, which form the central substance of the tooth, and two distinct subpopulations within them, which follow different developmental pathways. The first population is closely associated with the formation of the tooth root, and the second contributes to the formation of the tissues that support it in the jaw.
These discoveries provide a clearer picture of how teeth and the bone that supports them develop in the jaws. Mapping the role of these two lineages stem cells and the signals that guide them, researchers now have a stronger framework for understanding the formation of all the individual parts of the teeth.
These findings pave the way for innovative regenerative therapies based on stem cells, which aim to regenerate the dental pulp and the survival of denervated teeth, periodontal tissues and jaw bones, replacing implants and artificial fillings. Since 2009, Biohellenika has offered the storage of all cell populations of deciduous teeth stem cells in their original form, and this
of neural origin. If the stem cells are placed in conditions of cell proliferation, the specialized population for neural tissue is lost and the baby tooth stem cells acquire the same uses as the umbilical cord tissue. This way of storage at Biohellenika ensures their maximum therapeutic potential for all future applications.
Today, more than 950 clinical studies are underway in which mesenchymal stem cells are used, of which approximately 50 use baby tooth stem cells.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends the storage of baby tooth stem cells, due to their emerging uses in Regenerative Medicine. (Oral Health Policies, Dental Stem Cells, 2022).