Stem cells on guard of smiles

Necrosis of the dental pulp is one of the most common causes of tooth loss. Often the trigger for this pathology is trauma, which is especially dangerous for children, since the development of the root of the tooth stops.

Data from a new study suggests that implantation of autologous stem cells taken from baby teeth can "revive" a dead tooth. At the same time, structures are restored: a layer of odontoblasts, blood vessels and nerves.

After receiving positive results in animal experiments, scientists were inspired to conduct clinical studies. 40 children who suffered an injury to one of the permanent incisors were selected to participate in the study. An important condition for participation was also the presence of milk teeth in patients. The subjects were divided into two groups: 30 people received experimental stem cell therapy, and 10 received a classical treatment regimen, apexification (cleansing of the dental canal followed by filling it with a temporary paste to stimulate the formation of calcified tissue in the apex area – the tip of the tooth).

For the implantation of stem cells, the cells of the patient's own milk teeth (human deciduous pulp stem cell, hDPSC) were taken, which were then cultured in laboratory conditions, after which the resulting cells were implanted into the damaged tooth.

During the study, four patients were excluded for various reasons, so at the end of the study, scientists analyzed the data of only 26 patients from the stem cell group and 10 from the control group. Immediately after the end of the study, patients from the stem cell group showed healthy root development, as well as a thicker dentin layer and better blood supply compared to representatives of the second group. A year after hDPSC implantation, the root length significantly increased and the width of the apical opening decreased compared to the apexification group. In addition, hDPSC implantation resulted in regeneration of pulp tissue containing sensory nerves. There was no recovery of sensitivity in the control group.

To assess the safety of the technique, scientists observed 20 subjects who had stem cells implanted for 24 months. During this time, no adverse outcomes were recorded.

Unfortunately, this research is only the first step. The use of proprietary hDPSC reduces the risk of rejection, but makes such therapy impossible in the case of adult patients. Currently, work is underway to investigate the possibility of using allogeneic (obtained from a donor) stem cells.

Article by Xuan et al. Deciduous autologous tooth stem cells regenerate dental pulp after implantation into injured teeth in Science Translational Medicine.

Anastasia Poznyak, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru / based on Penn Today: Regrowing dental tissue with stem cells from baby teeth.