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Fully Functional Bioengineered Tooth Grown In a Mouse
A couple of weeks back the Wall Street Journal reported on the first organ grown in vivo from stem cells — a tooth in the mouth of a mouse. Reader cdrpsab spotted the news on the MedGadget blog; the research had been reported earlier in the PNAS. From the WSJ: "The researchers at the Tokyo University of Science created a set of cells that contained genetic instructions to build a tooth, and then implanted this 'tooth germ' into the mouse's empty tooth socket. The tooth grew out of the socket and through the gums, as a natural tooth would. Once the engineered tooth matured, after 11 weeks, it had a similar shape, hardness and response to pain or stress as a natural tooth, and worked equally well for chewing. The researchers suggested that using similar techniques in humans could restore function to patients with organ failure."
Of course, we all grow teeth at the beginning of our lives, but this friend of mine grew a new tooth when he was in his thirties. He had an extraction, and about two years later, a new one came in. He wasn't one of those people who start out with three ranks of teeth (that's pretty rare too, but not quite as rare a growing a new one as an adult. I think his case got written up in some dental journal.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
I think not.
You'd be putting the tooth fairy out of business.
My page.
The tooth fairy could suck it up with her clearly outdated business model.
The tooth fairy would then receive a bailout package.
The researchers suggested that using similar techniques in humans could restore function to patients with organ failure."
The submitter got me, I have to admit. I was reading the summary, thinking that it would end with "could allow humans to regrow teeth"... but they pulled a zigzag, and went a different direction. Organs. Wow. Did M. Knight Shamalyan write this summary?
This is nothing but a scam to rip off the tooth fairy. Shame on you, science.
Slashdot, fix your code or at least hire someone who is competent at it to do it for you.
Yours sincerely,
Dean, on behalf of millions of Type I diabetics
P.S. I *love* hearing about this stuff. The potential for helping millions is incredible.
The subject who is truly loyal to the Chief Magistrate will neither advise nor submit to arbitrary measures (Junius)
I seem to recall reading an article many years ago about a trial in the UK in which this same technique was working quite well on humans. Of course I can't seem to track down the article now, and the closest thing I did find was this article from five years ago about a business providing this service. Unfortunately, it only muddies the waters further by including the line "To date, no companies or research groups in the world have been able to demonstrate the formation of a living, natural tooth." Does anyone else remember the trial I mentioned or am I just imagining things again?
They're horrible, and I live in the United States, a culture where teeth are perfect and white or you are nothing. My wife has beautiful teeth, and despite the fact that we have nearly identical brushing and dental care habits, my teeth are horrid, yellow, and falling to pieces, hers are beautiful, white, and basically no cavities.
Sorry - not all teeth are created equal.
So here I am, 30-something, fairly affluent, and having horrid teeth. You think I wouldn't hesitate to spend a few Gs replacing my craptastic old teeth with new teeth with zero chance of rejection? Sure, they will go yellow quickly, just like the last ones did, but that means I'm in my 80s or later before my teeth are in any way unusual. And effectively, that means good teeth for life.
I've been waiting for this kind of treatment. Where do I sign up?
I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
did you see the laser beam on his head?
I wonder if this treatment will be available through NHS dentists once it is perfected.
ROFLMFAO I crack myself up sometimes.
If we can put a man on the moon, why can't we shoot people for Apollo-related non-sequiturs?
She builds her castle out of them.
My ex was a biologist, and told me that the way the healing of wounds is implemented is that cells multiply when there aren't other cells next to them. If there is a hole, then the cells will divide to fill in the gap, with the signal to stop occuring when the dividing cells finally close up the hole. The problem is that that signal to stop gets screwed up somehow sometimes - either it's not produced, or its ignored. There is only a small probability of this happening, but if you are repeatedly wounded, then the probability increases. Some people have a habit of biting the insides of their cheeks. I understand that doing so can cause cancers where you bite.
Request your free CD of my piano music.
Smoke 'em if ya got 'em.
Toughest tag to parse, EVAR!
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Well, not entirely, but seriously - they've come up with a way to grow new teeth for mammals.
Personally, I would love it if I could go to the dentist and have him replace some of my bad teeth with new ones. One or two at a time would be fine.
Instead of getting fake teeth or fillings when you've abused your teeth to the point where the enamel on the outside of the tooth has worn away, exposing the dentine ... if I could get those replaced? I'd almost be willing to kill for that.
Sure, it'd take time to regrow a new tooth, but I could live with that.
So yeah, screw growing new organs - get me some new teeth!
Given this advancement I foresee a drop in the price of her building materials.
"There are no facts, only interpretations." --Friedrich Nietzsche.
Fail. Missed password prompt. Oh well, that's what I get for a first-time effort at /. humor.