The more things change: the new NIH Guidelines on human stem cell research

State performance in pluripotent and adult stem cell research, 2009–2016

Aim: To examine how the geographic distribution of pluripotent and adult stem cell research publications within the USA differs from other areas of biomedical research. Materials & methods: Publication count data for pluripotent stem cell research, adult stem cell research and a comparison group representative of biomedical research more broadly were collected and analyzed for each US state from 2009 to 2016. Results: The distribution of pluripotent stem cell research differed from the other fields with overperformance in pluripotent stem cell research observed in California, as well as Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Maryland and Connecticut. Conclusion: Our analysis suggests that permissive state stem cell policy may be one of the several factors contributing to strong state performance in pluripotent stem cell research.

A survey of dental residents' expectations for regenerative endodontics

INTRODUCTION

The objective was to survey a group of dental residents regarding their expectations for using regenerative endodontic procedures as part of future dental treatments.

METHODS

After institutional review board approval, the opinions of 32 dentists who were having postgraduate residency training to become specialists in a dental school were surveyed. The survey had 40 questions about professional status, ethical beliefs, judgment, and clinical practice.

RESULTS

It was found that 83.9% of dentists had no continuing education or training in stem cells or regenerative endodontic procedures. Results showed that 96.8% of dentists are willing to receive training to be able to provide regenerative endodontic procedures for their patients. Of the total group, 49.1% of dentists already use membranes, scaffolds, or bioactive materials to provide dental treatment. It was determined that 47.3% of dentists agree that the costs of regenerative procedures should be comparable with current treatments. It was also found that 55.1% of dentists were unsure whether regenerative procedures would be successful.

CONCLUSIONS

Dentists are supportive of using regenerative endodontic procedures in their dental practice, and they are willing to undergo extra training and to buy new technology to provide new procedures. Nevertheless, dentists also need more evidence for the effectiveness and safety of regenerative treatments before they will be recommended for most patients.