TWO men linked to a string of construction and financial disasters across the Hunter, that have left victims millions of dollars out of pocket, have latched onto a new business venture.
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Daniel Roberts and Shashanth Shankar Tellakula Gowrishankar have launched Future Tooth, Australia's "first dental stem cell storage company".
The company's website claims children's teeth stem cells can "be used for" cancer, spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and a host of other serious illnesses.
Both men, accused by a Supreme Court judge of using phoenix companies to avoid paying building industry debts, have LinkedIn profiles detailing their roles in the business that charges $2000 for adult wisdom teeth storage in a "purpose built cryopreservation facility".
Mr Roberts, a former bankrupt, who was born in the United Kingdom, describes himself as the founding director and Mr Shankar is listed as a founder.
"We are committed to accelerating the use of personal cell and tissue therapies such as the use of mesenchymal stem cells and regenerative medicine," Mr Shankar's LinkedIn profile reads.
The company claims that "dentists around the country have recommended Future Tooth dental stem cell services to their patients".
But the Australian Dental Association has warned against storing teeth, describing dental stem cell banking as unnecessary and unregulated.
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Professor Mark Bartold, who has been involved in dental stem cell research for 25 years and published more than 100 scientific papers and reviews on the subject, described stem cell banking in Australia as "very new and as yet unregulated".
"It is unvalidated and unregulated, and risk of poor good manufacturing protocols and thus risk of infection, cell transformation and other unwanted effects is very high," he said.
Stem cells are the base cells that grow into different body parts.
Future Tooth's website, that was taken off the internet several months ago, offered a children's "stem cell banking kit" for $200 and storage "started from $200".
"Storing your dental stem cells is a scientific and complex process, but we will make it easy for you," the website read. "We make the process simple to store possible life-saving stem cells with Future Tooth."
Editor of The Australian Dental Journal and head of the Australian Dental Association's Editorial Advisory Board, Professor Bartold said biobanking was a good research tool, but not ready for human use.
"There is no need for dental stem cell banking because all adults and children have readily accessible and viable stem cell sources within their own tissues that can be very easily obtained, propagated and used without the need to resort to expensive and unvalidated cell banks," he said.
Future Tooth was listed as operating from Honeysuckle Drive, Newcastle, the same location as two building companies linked to Mr Roberts and Mr Shankar that were placed in voluntary liquidation last year. Blissful Developments and Blissful Building Procurements went under owing 55 creditors more than $1.5 million.
According to Future Tooth, it is "important to bank our children's teeth" so they can be "healthy" now and in the future.
"Banking dental stem cells gives your children the ability to take advantage of stem cell therapies of today and those that emerge in the future," the website read.
"No parent wants their children to be sick or infected with disease. So take advantage of the medical benefits that can provide cutting-edge treatments for tomorrow."
Professor Bartold said animal studies had found dental pulp stem cells a source for replacing and regenerating tissue.
"Human studies to date have been very disappointing, of limited value and on very small sample sizes," he said.
Mr Shankar's wife, Aarthi Dhandayutham, is director of a company called Cryo Preservation Research.
Professor Bartold said more research needed to be done and regulations introduced before stem cell banking could be recognised as a legitimate treatment option for future use.
"As such the Australian Dental Association would urge people who are having baby or wisdom teeth removed to not enter into any agreement with any company offering to store their teeth for the stem cells contained within the dental pulp in the event of needing them for use in treating serious disease in the future," he said.
Mr Roberts and Mr Shankar have repeatedly declined to speak to the Newcastle Herald.
- Do you know more? Donna.page@newcastleherald.com.au