• Question: what kind of stem cell do you work with

    Asked by dohs to Matt on 12 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Matthew Tomlinson

      Matthew Tomlinson answered on 12 Nov 2013:

      Hi dohs

      I work with a couple of different stem cells, mostly I work with dental pulp stem cells, these are from inside wisdom teeth and is the stuff that gets taken out when someone has a root canal. We get the teeth from people who have their wisdom teeth removed and we then crack them open to get to the cells. I also work with bone marrow stem cells, these come from patients who have broken bones and are having to surgery to fix the break. We use both these cell types to try and grow bone-like cells in the lab.

      In the future I’d like to work with induced pluripotent stem cells, these are normal cells which have been turned into stem cells by adding 4 chemicals and I think these are going to be a great way of helping people in the future.

      I hope that answers your question!

Comments

  • Photo: dohs

    dohs commented on :

    is it possible to bring back dead cells which could be use to bring back animals and humans

  • Photo: Matt

    Matt commented on :

    Not really, once cells are dead there’s not much we can do. The reason we are able to bring people back to life in the emergency room is because their cells are still alive and we can restart the heart. But once cells are dead, there’s not a lot that can be done I’m afraid.