Cuba has begun T-cell therapy to treat periodontal diseases that involve bone loss, and has seen positive results, Amparo Pérez, head of a research team in Havana, told Tierramérica. The method involves direct injection of adult T-cells (stem cells, which originate in bone marrow) into the gums. It has produced notable improvement in a group of patients, with recovery and curing of the bone lesions.

“The results are considered very promising and stimulating,” Pérez said.

The T-cell treatment for chronic inflammatory periodontal disease is a feasible and advanced technique, less invasive than surgery, she added.

Since 2004, more than 500 Cuban patients have received cell therapy. Eighty percent had been diagnosed with chronic arterial insufficiency.