From this week's BMJ. Extracts below. Full text here: https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1491
==
Parents are spending thousands of pounds to bank stem cells from their children’s milk teeth—but the recipient companies’ claims about their future medical value are unproved and potentially misleading, an investigation by The BMJ has found.
The three UK companies advertising tooth banking services tell parents that milk teeth are a “valuable” source of stem cells, with the ability to repair tissue cells throughout the body. Their claims include that these stem cells are already being used in treatments for autism and diabetes. They also point to current research using stem cells in multiple sclerosis, myocardial infarction, and Parkinson’s disease.
But several experts have told The BMJ that they are concerned about the claims being made, which risk exploiting parents—with the promise of a treatment for autism deemed particularly outrageous...
Consumers sign an agreement before being sent a collection kit when their child’s tooth becomes wobbly. There is an initial cost of around £1900 (€2189; $2573) and an additional annual storage fee of £95.
Yet several experts tell The BMJ it is not clear if parents are able to make a fully informed choice. There is no reliable advice or explanation of the science or the ethical matters around tooth stem cell banking apart from that offered by the companies. There is no public bank for tooth derived stem cells...
Lack of evidence and independent information
The interest in tooth stem cell banking as a commercial proposition is particularly strong in the US, where dentists offer to collect extracted teeth and preserve the dental pulp stem cells. A review of this practice published in 2020 noted that information online was dominated by the companies offering the service.
The websites of the companies and dental offices referred to in the review suggest possible future application for “pathologies as sweeping as diabetes, heart attack, cancer, autism, drug addictions, and aging.” Yet the research quoted cites either clinical trials for non-dental mesenchymal stem cells or pre-clinical studies for dental derived stem cells...
For some, the inclusion of autism in the list of conditions with potential for stem cell treatment is a red flag.
Tim Nicholls, assistant director of policy, research, and strategy at the National Autistic Society in the UK, said, “It’s outrageous that tooth stem cell procedures are being advertised to parents with the false claim of ‘treating’ autism...
==
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org