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SALT LAKE CITY — Researchers may have found a use for the chemical that causes the stench in bad breath, stink bombs, and flatulence.
This smelly substance known as Hydrogen Sulphide has been used in helping to convert stem cells from human teeth into liver cells.
The scientists conducting the investigation and research in the Journal of Breath Research claim that the gas increased the purity of the stem cells. The goal is that the liver cells produced from the stem cells could be used for repair if the organ was damaged.
Hydrogen Sulphide is produced by bacteria, and is toxic in large amounts. A group in China has reportedly tested the gas on rats to enhance the survival of mesenchymal stem cells taken from the bone marrow.
Researchers from the Nippon Dental University were investigating stem cells from dental pulp — the material in the middle of the tooth. The dental pulp was taken from patients undergoing a routine tooth extraction.
Dr. Ken Yaegaki, the lead author of the study, told the BBC why the dental pulp was so effective. "High purity means there are less 'wrong cells' that are being differentiated to other tissues, or remaining as stem cells," said Yaegaki.
However, one of the concerns with dental pulp as a source of stem cells is the limited number that can be harvested. The study did not say how many stem cells were actually produced.
But researchers are optimistic about the results, and the safety of the procedure.
"Until now, nobody has produced the protocol to regenerate such a huge number of hepatic cells for human transplantation," said Yaegaki. "Compared to the traditional method of using fetal bovine serum to produce the cells, our method is productive and, most importantly, safe."
