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Baby Teeth Are A Source Of Stem Cells

Posted by timothy on from the tasty-crunchy-and-useful dept.

Makarand writes "A pediatric dentist at the National Institutes of Health has found that baby teeth can be a rich source of stem cells. Just like the stem cells found in embryos from which all organs arise, the stem cells in baby teeth could be encouraged to grow into nerve cells, fat cells and the precursors to tooth cells. This alternative approach to harvesting stem cells from baby teeth could help researchers to bypass the moral debate over using embryonic stem cells for research."

5 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. The world today.... by pnjman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Time to replace the tooth fairy with the multi-billion dollar medical companies.

    1. Re:The world today.... by stefanlasiewski · · Score: 5, Funny

      Bah, it's time to find the tooth fairy and find out what's she's been doing with your teeth all these years.

      Man, she's been running this racket for hundreds of years!

      Tooth Fairy = Never seems to age
      Stem Cells = Stops the aging process
      Baby Teeth = Stem Cells

      --
      "Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
  2. So... by Bob+Vila's+Hammer · · Score: 1, Funny

    "Just like the stem cells found in embryos from which all organs arise, the stem cells in baby teeth could be encouraged to grow into...fat cells..."

    So is that the genetic engineering term equivalent to chewing the fat?

    --


    --"The perfect example of the man of action is the suicide." - William Carlos Williams
  3. Baby parts are good for all kinds of things by L.+VeGas · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...and baby eyeballs taste delicious sauteed in butter and garlic.

    ----------
    Oprah

    --
    Best Windows Freeware
  4. Procurement of children's teeth. by s0l0m0n · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does this mean that it's once again legal to hunt children for thier teeth?