Researchers use baby teeth to study rare neurodegenerative diseases

The Sagutxoa Project is investigating the use of baby teeth as a biological tool to study rare neurodegenerative diseases. By extracting mesenchymal stem cells from the dental pulp, scientists can generate human neurons in a laboratory setting to create cellular models of hereditary or low-prevalence neurological conditions.

This initiative is a collaboration between the The Wall On Project foundation, technology consultancy LKS Next, and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) through the Institute of Neurosciences in Alicante. The research aims to combine cell biology with advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and quantum computing, to analyze large volumes of data and accelerate the identification of potential therapeutic compounds.

Using deciduous teeth offers both ethical and practical advantages, as the teeth are shed naturally without requiring medical intervention. If the teeth belong to a donor with a known genetic alteration affecting the nervous system, the resulting neurons can serve as a highly accurate model for studying the specific disease.