Every day, scientists are working to make the future better by testing the reaches of the almost limitless potential of stem cells. It seems like every there’s constantly news about the latest advances in stem cell research, but here are the three upcoming stem cells studies we think you should keep your eyes out for.

SAVING THE NORTHERN WHITE RHINO WITH STEM CELL RESEARCH

The staff at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research are gearing up for a stem cell studystraight out of Jurassic Park. They plan to bring the Northern White Rhino back from the edge of extinction by using induced pluripotent stem cells to facilitate the in-vitro fertilization of the last two surviving female Northern White Rhinos with hybrid embryos cultivated from Southern White Rhino eggs fertilized with Northern White Rhino sperm.

If successful, not only will they have saved a species without a single living male, but their in vitro stem cell therapy procedure has the potential to be applied to other large mammalian species facing extinction.

USING STEM CELLS TO CREATE NATURAL DENTAL FILLINGS

Tired of setting off alarms in the airport because you had one too many caramels as a child? A joint stem cell research team comprised of scientists from Harvard and the University of Nottingham are working to create regenerative dental fillings that don’t require painful and damaging drilling.

These fillings work by stimulating stem cells to grow into dentin, the bone-like material of teeth. Essentially, instead of filling up dental cavities with metal, the material is regrown the same way a lizard’s tail regrows.

“Existing dental fillings are toxic to cells and are therefore incompatible with pulp tissue inside the tooth,” UoN research Adam Celiz told Newsweek. “In cases of dental pulp disease and injury a root canal is typically performed to remove the infected tissues.”

RESTORING TOUCH TO THE PARALYZED WITH STEM CELL THERAPY

After a horse riding accident left him quadriplegic, Superman actor Christopher Reeve dedicated his life to helping other paralyzed people and championing the cause of stem cell studies in the face of close-minded regulators and religious authorities.

While Reeve didn’t get the chance to see the new trust and advancements from stem cell studies today, a team at UCLA are working to bring the sense of touch back to paralyzed patients using a stem cell therapy that replaces sensory interneurons that translates information in the central nervous system.

Though not able to restore motion or the ability to walk to people like Reeve just yet, the prospect of restoring feeling can both greatly improve patients’ quality of life, and provide a stepping stone to that ultimate goal.

“The field has for a long time focused on making people walk again,” senior author Samantha Butler said in a press release. “Making people feel again doesn’t have quite the same ring. But to walk, you need to be able to feel and to sense your body in space; the two processes really go hand in glove.”

For stem cell therapy that utilizes the latest in stem cell research, schedule a consultation with RegenerVate. We use your body’s own stem cells to repair joint and muscle injuries. We specialize in PRP, ADSC and BMAC techniques.