Stem cells regenerate teeth in pigs

[omemnow]

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With the current events of stem cell research and FDA in the early stage of approving the consumption of cloned food this is liable to happen too in realm of dentistry. What do you guys think? The first thing I tought of was job security! For UCLA students, is this a huge topic at your school?

link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070103/hl_nm/health_stemcell_teeth_dc
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Using stem cells harvested from the extracted wisdom teeth of young adults, researchers have successfully generated tooth root and supporting tooth ligaments to support a crown restoration in experiments using miniature pigs.
The restored tooth mirrored the original tooth in function and strength, the research team reports in the December issue of the open access medical journal PLoS ONE. The technique holds promise for use in humans, the investigators say.

Stem cells are the master cells of the body that give rise to all the blood and tissue in the body.

Dr. Songtao Shi said: "In this study, we use stem cell technology to generate 'a bio-root and periodontal tissue' along with dental clinical porcelain crown technique to restore tooth function in swine (mini-pig)."

Shi, from the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, added. "This is a hybridized approach (stem cell and clinical technologies) leading to reconstruction of functional tooth in an animal model similar to human."

The researchers hope to test their technique in humans within the next several years. If successful, it could be especially attractive to dental patients who are not good candidates for dental implants or would prefer living tissue derived from their own teeth.

"Implant patients must have sufficient bone in the jaw to support the implant. For those who don't, this therapy would be a great alternative," Shi said in a statement.

SOURCE: Public Library of Science (PLoS) ONE, December 2006.

 

[12YearOldKid]

The first thing I tought of was job security!

Why are you worried about job security? Who do you think would do that procedure. Hair stylists?

 

[1992Corolla]

If this happens it won't even begin to be done in private practice for at LEAST 30 years. 5-10? NO way. For the FDA to even approve something for human use takes 20 years of good proven clinical trials.

Sure it is a good concept, but it has also been the same concept for 40 years...just like the caries vaccine. If anyone talks about this being the new thing in dentistry in the next ten years then have them look at the genetic engineering going on behind this idea...very little information exists compared to where it nees to be.

Besides...who do you think they are going to let do the implantation of the stem cells? Dentists or oral surgeons?😀

 

[omemnow]

1992Corolla at first I rolled my eyes and thought the same thing "here we go again with the magic bullet in dentistry." But after reading the article I realized how close this may become a reality.

Why are you worried about job security? Who do you think would do that procedure. Hair stylists?

I didn't mean job security as in immediate future, actually I was more concern the dental profession as a whole, what a drastic it'd bring. As far as who would do this procedure that would be a very interesting topic when the time comes.

Don't worry I'm not being over paranoided, just being bored and wondering what you guys think about this.

 

[Ex_EE]

When at my interview the dean talked about this subject. He was really excited about growing teeth. As far as job security, he said that when they started putting flouride in the water everyone thought dentists would be out of business. That obviously didn't happen. The career may shift to different aspects, but it will not go away.

 

[blankguy]

I don't think this will affect job security. If anything it might change the nature of the job. Another potential job for oral surgeons.

 

[USUaggie]

Maybe this will be like that movie "the Island" and we won't stop at growing teeth but we'll actually grow clones of ourselves! And then instead of getting a crown, the clone of you will be told he needs to go to the dentist and they'll extract his tooth and then implant it in the real you.

 

[blankguy]

Maybe this will be like that movie "the Island" and we won't stop at growing teeth but we'll actually grow clones of ourselves! And then instead of getting a crown, the clone of you will be told he needs to go to the dentist and they'll extract his tooth and then implant it in the real you.

All that for teeth. Aren't you going overboard? Anyways I think if they do manage to figure growing teeth it will sure beat implants.

 

[1992Corolla]

Yeah, it COULD happen. It is an interesting topic. It just won't happen in the next 30 years. That was my point. It is a great topic...now if only they were closer to making it happen😀

 

[scalpel2008]

if they can clone a friggin' sheep and name her dolly, they should be able to grow a damn tooth.

 

[thomasjm]

Yeah, it COULD happen. It is an interesting topic. It just won't happen in the next 30 years. That was my point. It is a great topic...now if only they were closer to making it happen😀

He's right, I'm in grad school and working with a DMD/PhD on various techniques that can be used in dentistry, and are begining to devle into the vast area of stem cell research. Unfortunately, most of what is reported in the news as a "stem cell breakthrough" is misrepresented. In most animal models or in animal trials the particular animals are genetically incapable to elicit an immune response (SCID or something similar). This is both good and bad, because it allows us to test new techniques and theories, however somewhat unreliable due to the small detail that humans have sophisticated immune systems/responses. My project may allow this problem to be circumvented with the use of autogenous stem cells, there would be no threat of rejection!