Precious stem cells for research from Teeth
Source: European CMT Federation – ecmtf.org
Prof. Esther Wolfs, from the University of Hasselt, Belgium, and her research group took the ‘Tooth’ part of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease seriously! They designed a new protocol to produce stem cells from CMT patients’ wisdom teeth which can be used to boost research in the CMT field
Background Information:
They are looking for individuals diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) or Hereditary Neuropathy with Liability to Pressure Palsies (HNPP) who are willing to support our research by donating wisdom teeth that need to be extracted.
Although many research efforts have been made over the years, there is still no effective treatment for CMT or HNPP. A major challenge is the lack of reliable human-based models to study how these diseases affect the peripheral nerves. To address this, Prof. Wolfs’s research team is developing an innovative approach that uses stem cells derived from the dental pulp of wisdom teeth, often removed for orthodontic or preventive reasons.
These dental stem cells come from the soft tissue in the center of the tooth and share an embryonic origin with Schwann cells, the cells responsible for forming myelin around peripheral nerves. They have successfully developed methods to differentiate these dental stem cells into Schwann-like cells, and are currently optimizing techniques to generate neurons from the same source, offering a unique and human-relevant model to study the disease mechanisms of CMT and HNPP.
By donating a wisdom tooth that is planned for removal, you can make a meaningful contribution to scientific research. Your support will help the scientific community better understand the disease, and could accelerate the development of future treatments.
Research team:
This study takes place in the Functional Imaging & Research on Stem Cells (FIERCE) lab, headed by Esther Wolfs, at the Biomedical Research Institute of Hasselt University, Belgium.
How can I donate my wisdom tooth to research?
To participate in this study, you can donate (wisdom) teeth that are being extracted by a dental professional as part of routine dental care, such as orthodontic treatment. It is important to note that they are not asking individuals to undergo tooth extraction specifically for research purposes. They only use teeth that are already scheduled to be removed for medical or dental reasons.
We ask that you contact them well in advance of the planned extraction. This allows them to complete the informed consent process with you and to send the necessary materials in time. Specifically, they will provide you with tubes containing a nutrient solution that should be stored in your refrigerator until the extraction. Upon extraction, the teeth are collected into these tubes. They do not contain any harmful or dangerous substances, and the liquid inside is used to keep the cells within the tooth alive during transportation to their lab in Belgium.
They will arrange and cover all costs related to the transportation of the sample. Participation involves sharing limited personal information, such as your birth year, sex, and CMT subtype. Your name or any identifying details will not be included in the study results, and your privacy will be fully protected.
No additional procedures or follow-up assessments are required, and participation involves no medical risk.
How to participate?
To take part in this study, please contact Prof. Wolfs’s team in advance via email.
Contact email: esther.wolfs@uhasselt.be