How scientists can harvest stem cells from human teeth

WASHINGTON — Many parents bank stem cells from blood in the umbilical cord when their baby is born and store it for their child’s potential future medical use, but some are now looking to another source for this — the human tooth.

Stem cells from tissue inside the tooth are mesenchymal stem cells. These are traditionally found in bone marrow. Also known as MSCs, these cells are multipotent and can differentiate into cells that repair muscles, bone and cartilage, the heart and blood vessels, among others.

According to Euro stem cell, a partnership made up of 400 European stem cell and regenerative medicine labs, more research is needed before MSCs can be used in medical treatments. They may potentially help treat autoimmune disorders as well as the circulatory and skeletal systems.

U.S. companies such as Store A Tooth and The Tooth Bank offer to store teeth cryogenically, especially baby teeth and wisdom teeth. This could allow people to use them later if the need for stem cell therapy arises.