Stem cells in dentistry: knowledge and attitude of Nigerian dentists

Knowledge, attitude, and ethical concepts of Sudanese medical students regarding stem cells and its application

One of the major challenges that stem cell transplantation faces is a lack of donors due to a lack of knowledge and awareness of the importance of stem cell transplantation, this implies that health care providers should arm themselves with sufficient knowledge to contribute positively to raising awareness. This is an analytical cross-sectional study of 1040 medical students from 10 universities from various Sudanese states, through an online self-administered pre-tested and structured questionnaire formulated by the authors with a particular focus and/or reflection on the knowledge and attitudes of medical students. The median knowledge score among all students was 8.0 (6-9) with the majority of students confirming that stem cells are capable of dividing and can self-renew for a long period (88.6%). Regarding attitude, the median score among the participants was 23 (17-27) with (47.9%) agreeing that competency in stem cell knowledge is important for them as future health care providers. In terms of ethical attitude; the majority of the students (59, 2%) think there's a need to obtain ethical approval before conducting research. Moreover, (45.9%) of students believe that health practitioners have the right to use stem cells in treatments if those treatments have been scientifically proven to be effective on animals and on human cells in the laboratory. It is important to promote educational programs that inform medical students about the full range of possibilities offered by stem cell research. Furthermore, more studies is required to determine how society and religion affect medical students' attitudes toward stem cells.

Knowledge about stem cell sources and obstacles in donation of bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cells: a cross-sectional survey from Ha'il city to track the prospects of regenerative medicine in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Promoting stem cell donation behaviors could be crucial in advancing stem cell-based treatment, research and improving public health in Saudi Arabia. Donation of stem cells can be considered an act of social welfare just like blood donation because stem-cell-based therapies are emerging as a hope for those suffering from chronic health conditions and/or terminal illnesses.

AIM

This study aims at assessing levels of awareness about sources of stem-cells, donor organizations and predictors of stem cell donation behavior in target population.

METHODS

The study employed a cross-sectional online survey method. The study sample comprises 1325 educated Saudi people living in Ha'il city. The survey questionnaire collected data about respondents' demographic background, awareness about various sources of stem cells and stem-cell donor registries, willingness to donate stem cells, registration status and obstacles in stem cell donation registration. Percentages, Chi-square analysis and Odd Ratios were computed to analyze the data.

RESULTS

In this sample, (n = 696; 52%) were males and (n = 629; 48%) were females. Although (n = 1308; 98%) percent of respondents reported willingness to donate stem cell, less than one percent (n = 6; 0.5) were registered with Saudi Stem Cell Registry. Over 50% of respondents hold inaccurate perceptions about sources of stem cell. Odd Ratio (OR) values from binary logistic regression model identified four factors as significant predictors of non-registration status. These included (i) unaware about donor agencies and procedures (OR = 10.07; p < 0.05), (ii) unaware about possibility to donate stem cells (OR = 8.08; p < 0.05) (iii) concerns about impact on health (OR = 10.01; p < 0.05) and (iv) have health issues that does not permit donation (OR = 10.50; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Stem cell registrations can be enhanced through appropriate health education programs that focus on increasing awareness about donation procedures, trustworthy donor organizations and reducing people apprehensions related to donation.

Knowledge and Attitude of Undergraduate Students and Interns toward Stem Cells and Their Implications in Dentistry: A Cross-sectional Study

AIM

The primary ideology of this research was to evaluate both the knowledge and attitude of undergraduate students and interns regarding stem cells and their use in dentistry.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional observatory study was conducted among 310 dental students of Jazan University by making use of a self-explanatory questionnaire, containing a set of 25 questions and was sent as e-mail through Google e-forms.

RESULTS

There was a good response rate of around 81.2%, of which 80.16% were aware of the fact that stem cells are unspecialized types of cells that come with the potential to turn into any cell type. Almost 65.08% of the participants considered the possibility to continue root formation post-trauma as the fundamental use of stem cells, and a majority (71.43%) of the participants showed great interest in garnering more knowledge and training in the area of stem cells. About 50% of the participants showed strong opposition to the concept of embryonic stem cells as these are basically fetched from an aborted fetus or from an embryo. There was a major section of the participants (79.76%) who were even keen on organizing more programs to create public awareness regarding stem cells. Mean knowledge and attitude scores among the participants were reported to be 7.57 ± 3.10 and 36.04 ± 6.51 respectively.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the level of knowledge and attitude of dental students and interns at Jazan University towards stem cells and their implications in dentistry can be interpreted as adequate.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Advanced training and awareness campaigns on stem cells and dentistry would improve their knowledge and attitude.

"Dental Stem Cells": Awareness, knowledge, and attitude of dental professionals-A cross-sectional study

AIM

The present study was conducted with an aim to assess the awareness about existence of dental stem cells among dental professionals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total sample size of 100 dental professionals in the age group of 22-32 years, comprising of 28 interns, 46 postgraduate students, and 26 senior residents from various specialties was selected. A self-administered, hand-delivered, 10-point questionnaire was used to assess the awareness, knowledge, and attitude of dental professionals towards dental stem cells. Results were documented and statistically analyzed using chi-square test.

RESULTS

A total of 72% dental professionals were aware about dental stem cells with dental curriculum books being the main source of information. Note that 81% of positive respondents were aware about the different types and a total of 28% were aware about the procedure to procure dental stem cells. Only 33.3% of positive respondents were aware about existence of dental stem cell banks in India.

CONCLUSION

A high level of awareness about dental stem cells and its applications was noted during the course of this study. A significant association of age and type of practice with awareness of dental stem cells and knowledge regarding their use in developing nondental tissues was observed. A positive attitude towards recommending dental stem cell banking was seen.