I received an abstract this morning: Third molars contain a valuable reservoir of tissue for the creation of stem cells, according to a new study appearing in the September 17 Journal of Biological Chemistry.
The soft pulp inside of teeth contains the same mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) found in bone marrow. And tooth pulp is more easily obtained than bone marrow, especially in wisdom teeth, which most individuals have removed anyway.
The research team at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology noted that the presence of a supply of MSCs in third molars could have meaningful therapeutic ramifications. Extraction creates a perfect opportunity to remove biological material in a sterilized setting; the teeth subsequently can be frozen and stored for many years until needed. In the meantime, that also provides time for researchers to better understand the details of iPS creation to further increase the efficiency for clinical use.
I won't prattle on; I'm just the messenger. Here's the abstract.