Scientists have launched an innovatory medical process that may aid for the treatment of cancer, heart disease, or other dread diseases using children’s baby teeth in the United Kingdom. Scientists will play “Tooth Fairy” and extract stem cells from inside the teeth, and then store the cells. About $1800 is being charged from the Parents to extract and grow the cells, then store them for their children. Since the cells are from that person’s very own body, there will never be a risk of rejection.
The medical director of the lab performing the potentially life-saving procedure told, “Although research into stem cells is in its early days, by the time these children need the treatments advances in research will have been made.”
The procedure begins when a baby tooth falls out. The tooth must immediately be placed into a screw-top container with milk, within 24 hours it should send to the lab. In Lab, the workers isolate the stem cells and allow them to grow. The cells are then put into a test tube and freeze them in liquid nitrogen.
Experts support the technique because these cells grow better and are easier to harvest than those in umbilical cord blood.