Teeth hold key to future health - Health and beauty feature - Health and beauty - Lifestyle - Manchester Evening News

David James, owner of Bioeden at Daresbury

Teeth hold key to future health

Diane Cooke
21/ 8/2007

WHEN dentist David James was surfing the net looking for information to solve a patient's gum alignment problem he stumbled across a medical technique which is set to revolutionise the treatment of human disease.

David, a partner at the Chester Cosmetic Dental Centre, was excited to find the research of Dr Shi, a cellular biologist at the National Institute of Health in the US, who had discovered stem cells in the milk tooth of his young daughter.

The extraction of stem cells for the treatment of many serious diseases has been a highly controversial issue because human embryos have been used.

In the past, many scientists have refused to be involved in such research for moral and ethical reasons. Dr Shi's discovery was therefore a major medical breakthrough, particularly as the cells in baby teeth are easier to extract and grow better.

And so impressed was David that he got straight on to the institute to discuss how he could bring the technique to Europe.

European project

The result was a purchasing of the British and European rights, costing 100,000 dollars, and now stem cells are being harvested from all over the world in laboratories run by Bioeden in Daresbury, near Warrington.

David, 59, who lives in Willaston, says: "I was fascinated to think that this research could lead to treatment for many diseases like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, juvenile diabetes, spinal cord injury, heart disease and even cancer. I just had to bring it to Europe."

So, with the help of a dozen investors, David set up Bioeden Ltd here to collect and harvest the stem cells from children's teeth.

A great deal of time and expense has been spent perfecting the technique to comply with strict European regulations from the Human Tissue Authority.

He says the system allows parents to have "insurance policies" for their children's future health.

The charge is £950 (£780 for a second child) for scientists to harvest and store two samples of the cells at the lab and £90 per annum thereafter. When a tooth falls out it must be kept in a glass of chilled milk, which acts as a nutrient to keep the cells alive, and then couriered to the lab within 48 hours.

Says David: "We've had teeth arriving from Kuwait, India and Italy and that's why we chose Daresbury for its proximity to two airports. As long as we get the tooth within the 48 hours and it's healthy we can harvest the cells."

Complex process

From there, medics inject the tooth with a special solution to isolate the cells. The cells are then observed under a microscope and allowed to grow to ensure they are stem cells and that they are healthy.

These are put into two vials and frozen in liquid nitrogen. One set is stored in Cheshire and the other in a secret lab for security purposes in case of an accident like a fire at one of the sites.

They are stored in case the child needs them to treat a disease they may develop as a grown up. There is no risk of rejection because the cells are taken from the person's own body.

"If a person receives stem cells from another source there is a 50-60 per cent chance of rejection," says David. "If they're taken from a general bank the patient also has to take anti-rejection drugs.

"Stem cell research is improving all the time. Scientists are regenerating spinal cords, growing parts of the liver and creating insulin-making cells. Stem cells can create tissue vital for the treatment of serious disease."

Although, the scheme is new, he says many parents from the medical profession, who understand its value, have enrolled their children.

Docs invest

David says: "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 venture has also been put to MPs who will be discussing the prospect of creating a national scheme with government backing. The medical faculty at Liverpool University is interested in furthering the research.

But what of the poor kids who are missing out on a quid from the tooth fairy?

David says: "We send them a certificate. I know it's not the same, but parents tend to give them a pound and tell them that there's a very special tooth fairy who is going to look after them in the future." And not even a child could argue with that.

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