X-Message-Number: 25867 From: "John de Rivaz" <> References: <> Subject: Re: stem cells and lost teeth Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 11:36:49 -0000 Randall Burns writes about stem cells and lost teeth. One of the big difficulties with medical research is that once a process has been developed it take decades to get to the public. A recent exchange on Longevity Report http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/LongevityReport/message/201 suggests how, although the medical profession knows how to save many patients who have had strokes, only hospitals in centres of population in the USA can offer a MRI scan within three hours and then the administration of appropriate medicines based on the result. Canada and the rest of the world just offer palliative care, which leaves patients either dead or disabled unless they can recover using their bodies' own resources. If an early product from stem cell research is relatively simple to apply and can be made available to a large number of people through an existing network of practitioners (high street dental surgeons), then it will give the whole subject a large degree of credibility and thereby attract more funding for more complicated tasks. Teeth just exist and rely on other structures to cut and grind food, they don't "do" anything complicated like nerves and muscles. The job of regrowing them may be a whole lot easier, and therefore should come first. Walk before you can run. Of course if the application of stem cell technology to replacing lost teeth requires a massive support team and huge hospitals for each patient, then this comment is not valid. Maybe others can comment on this aspect. -- Sincerely, John de Rivaz: http://John.deRivaz.com for websites including Cryonics Europe, Longevity Report, The Venturists, Porthtowan, Alec Harley Reeves - inventor, Arthur Bowker - potter, de Rivaz genealogy, Nomad .. and more >>> From: Randall Burns <> Subject: Re: CryoNet #25840 - #25854 < http://www.cryonet.org > I have some questions for folks here about stem cell research. The first major application I've seen is the proposal to allow replacement of lost teeth. I've also heard of proposals to allow stem cells to cure spinal cord injuries. What are the major early applications of stem cells folks anticipate? Is there any available research on the use of stem cells to spur human glands to maintain youthful levels of hormone production(testosterone, HGH etc)? Thanks! <<< Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=25867