Aeras Bio, Inc. is a research-based company in the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster, developing regenerative medicine using stem cell from dental pulp for dental pulp regenerative treatment. In this treatment, dental pulp is extracted from one's unwanted teeth, and the stem cells from the pulp are cultured and transplanted into teeth that have lost their nerves due to cavities (irreversible pulpitis, etc.) to regenerate the pulp. Aeras Bio is the first to commercialize this treatment.

The company announced that, as research and development into dental pulp regenerative treatments continue, the range of application is expanding. Previously, the treatment was only used for irreversible pulpitis; however, it can now also be used for teeth where the pulp has been removed (i.e., after the nerves have been removed).
The eligible age group has expanded to include ages 7 and up (*must be under age 70 at the time of tooth removal), and now many more individuals are able to undergo dental pulp regenerative treatments.

≪Summary≫
Body tissue, such as bone marrow in the bones, contain cells called stem cells that form the basis for growth (differentiation) of different types of cells. Regenerative medicine, which involves the transplantation of these stem cells, has come under the spotlight. Stem cells called “dental pulp stem cells” exist in the nerve tissues (dental pulp) within the tooth and these stem cells can be harvested from unwanted teeth such as wisdom teeth and deciduous teeth. Regenerative medicine using dental pulp stem cells is one regenerative medical technique: after thoroughly decontaminating the root canal of the tooth that has undergone pulpectomy for the treatment of caries, the stem cells are harvested from the patient’s unwanted teeth and processed for transplant into the root canal of the tooth for regeneration of the dental pulp.

≪Significance / Usefulness≫
Pulpectomy is generally performed on teeth with extensive caries such as irreversible pulpitis, involving removal of the injured pulp and filling of the hollow. If it deteriorates further, the tooth should be extracted. Removing the pulp may increase the risk of breaking the tooth and losing protection against bacteria, as well as the ability to restore part of the dental pulp tissue. There is also a risk that caries may progress under the filling in the tooth with the accumulation of pus even after the hollow has been filled, and this may not be noticed and thus left untreated.
In Japan, about 6 million pulpectomies are currently performed per year; dental pulp regenerative therapy is a new therapy that provides an alternative to pulpectomy. A healthy tooth may be restored by cultivating the dental pulp stem cells harvested from the unwanted teeth and transplanting the stem cells into the injured dental pulp. In addition, as opposed to dentures (artificial teeth) or implants (artificial dental roots), it is the patients’ own teeth that are restored with dental nerves, enabling them to continue to have the sensation of chewing with their own teeth into old age, thus contributing to the improvement of QOL (quality of life). Furthermore, as it is believed that dental pulp stem cells contained in the dental pulp have the capacity to induce blood vessels and nerve tissue, it is expected that they can also be used for regenerative medicine related to cerebral infarctions, spinal injuries or vascular disorders.