Research has found that inducing the activity of four genes in adult cells could "reprogram" them into a stem cell-like state; biologically, these induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells are virtually identical to embryonic stem cells, opening a potential avenue for stem cell therapy, an article in the Journal of Biological Chemistry said.

But making iPS cells isn't easy and requires a large amount of "starter" cells, which might involve difficult extraction from body tissue (unfortunately skin cells, the easiest to acquire, don't "re-program" well).

Scientists at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology may have found an ideal source: third molars, commonly known as wisdom teeth. The soft pulp inside of teeth contains a population of cells ideal for producing iPS cells, the researchers found.

Wisdom tooth extraction is a common medical procedure in developed nations and creates a perfect opportunity to remove biological material in a sterilized setting; the teeth subsequently can be frozen and stored for many years until needed.

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