Researchers found a way to multiply teeth
Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology and Tokyo Medical and Dental University, have found a way to multiply teeth.
In mice, they were able to extract teeth germs—groups of cells formed early in life that later develop into teeth, split them into two, and then implant the teeth into the mice’s jaws, where they developed into two fully functional teeth.
According to Takashi Tsuji, the leader of the team, approximately 10 percent of people are born with some missing teeth, and in addition, virtually all people lose some teeth to either accidents or disease as they age. Remedies such as implants and bridges are available, but they do not restore the full functionality of the teeth. Growing new teeth would be beneficial, but unfortunately humans only develop a limited number of teeth germs—the rudimentary cell groups from which teeth grow.
Significantly, they were able to manipulate the teeth using orthodontic methods, equivalent to braces, and the bone properly remodeled to accommodate the movement of the teeth.
Looking to the future, Tsuji says, “Our method could be used for pediatric patients who have not properly developed teeth as a result of conditions such as cleft lip or Down syndrome, since the germs of permanent teeth or wisdom teeth could be split and implanted. In the future, we could also consider using stem cells to grow more germs, but today there are barriers to culturing such cells, which will need to be overcome.”
The research was published in the December 17 edition of Scientific Reports, an online journal of the publishers of Nature.
