A new company has been set up in Austin, Texas which acts as a 'bank' for baby teeth, a source of adult stem cells. The company - BioEden Inc - was set up in response to a 2003 study by American scientists which found that baby teeth contain stem cells that appear to be capable of becoming a variety of body cells. BioEden plans to harvest and freeze stem cells from the pulp of teeth sent to them by parents who will pay a $595 processing fee and then $89 a year for storage of the cells in liquid nitrogen.
The company markets itself as an ethical alternative to embryonic stem cell research which destroys embryos in the process of deriving cell lines potentially capable of being used to cure illness. BioEden scientists acknowledge that research into possible therapeutic use of these cells is at a very early stage, as compared to umbilical cord blood which has been used to treat many diseases over the last fifteen years. However, they believe that their technique could eventually compete with cord blood banking and will prove cheaper. BioEden Director of Communication Robin Remaley said 'we don't know what the potential is for these cells we just know that it's there'.
Not all baby teeth contain stem cells, the four middle teeth in the top and bottom contain stem cells with the highest regeneration potential, the teeth next to these are also viable, but the back teeth are not. Teeth must be fresh to take advantage of the service - provides a kit whereby parents can post the tooth to the company for processing to begin. The bank is part of a movement toward personalised medicine where treatment in the future could be customised for each individual.
BioEden President Jeff Johnson explained: 'BioEden is not a public cell bank. We isolate and store tooth cells, and return them to the original donor if they are ever needed', he said, adding 'this way you don't have to worry about communicable diseases, tissue rejection, or immunosuppressive therapy. Our autologous banking system will contribute to successful therapies where it is imperative that the source of the stem cells be compatible with the recipient'.
Pamela Gehron Robey, co-author of the 2003 study along with Dr Songtao Shi, thinks it premature to treat these cells as potentially capable of curing future diseases. 'If I thought that parents had a real clear understanding of what it is they are storing and what we know these cells can do now, then I would maybe feel better saying, "Yes, it's worthwhile"', she said, adding 'I just don't like engendering false hope.'
