Friday, 19 September 2008
Meanwhile, in a more positive development for Australian stem cell research, a University of Adelaide researcher says that teeth can help to heal brain damage from strokes.

Dental pulp stem cells from extracted human teeth and stroke-affected rat brain tissue are being used to repair stroke-damaged rat brains. Dental pulp stem cells are highly promising as precursors of replacement neurons (brain cells) because they are easily accessible, can be taken from the patient needing treatment, and they have similar properties to the cranial neural crest cells which normally make brain cells and other cranial tissues.

This adult stem cell research is partially funded by the Catholic Church. "The Catholic Church obviously has a moral objection with embryonic stem cells and they decided the best way of doing that would be to offer a grant every two years with groups that use adult stem cell populations," Dr Simon Koblar told the ABC. ~ University of Adelaide, Sept 16; ABC, Sept 16