throughout life. It is also responsible for the pain experienced if the tooth is diseased or damaged, and also for hot and cold sensitivity. Dr. Stanley studied pulp death and regeneration. The photograph opposite shows the ability of the pulp cells to mineralize more tooth substance in response to injury. The purpose of the increased mineralization is to protect the pulp tissue from disease, injury and trauma. Dr. Stanley also showed that the bacterial invasion of teeth could destroy the cells and cause a loss of tooth vitality. The invasion of tooth dentinal tubules by bacteria can be seen in the photograph opposite. The bacteria is present in the mouth saliva. If bacteria reaches the pulp it can cause severe inflammation called 'pulpitis'. The pulpitis is normally painful and will require endodontic treatment. This involves the removal of the pulp and the cleaning and shaping of the root canals. The faculty and staff of Nova Southeastern are preparing the extensive histological archive of Dr. Stanley for on-line use. This will enable anyone to access his archive of teeth from anywhere in the world. Stem Cells Stem cells have the ability to continuously divide and differentiate (develop) into various other kinds of cells/tissues. All tissues originate from fetal stem cells. Recently adult stem cells have been identified with the ability to create new tissues. We investigate stem cells that are taken from donor adult tissues, we do not conduct any research using fetal stem cells. Tissue engineering is the creation of new replacement tissues Potential patients that could benefit from stem cell therapies (millions): Cardiovascular disease 58 Autoimmune diseases 30 Diabetes 16 Osteoporosis 10 Cancer 8.2 Alzheimer's disease 4.5 Parkinson's disease 1.5 Severe burns 0.3 Spinal cord injuries 0.25 Birth defects 0.15 Potential Therapies Stem cells will be used as part of tissue engineering to create new tissues to replace diseased, missing and lost tissues: Disabled Accidents Cleft Palate Diabetes Tissue Engineering Tissue engineering is the creation of new tissues in the laboratory using stem cells, bioactive molecules and scaffolds. How we will use stem cells therapeutically: 1.Isolate stem cells from blood transfusion or cell culture (flow cytometer) 2.Proliferate the cells in culture using growth factors 3. Grow the cells around scaffold materials 4.Create organ culture conditions for a specific cell and tissue type 5.Transplant the new replacement tissues into patients Elderly Oral Health The incidence of diseases, and oral problems