BBC News, James
Gallagher, Health and science reporter, 29 July 2013
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Stories
Could stem cells be a source of new teeth? |
The
results, published in Cell Regeneration Journal, showed that urine could be
used as a source of stem cells that in turn could be grown into tiny tooth-like
structures.
The team
from China hopes the technique could be developed into a way of replacing lost
teeth.
Other stem
cell researchers caution that that goal faces many challenges.
Teams of
researchers around the world are looking for ways of growing new teeth to
replace those lost with age and poor dental hygiene.
Stem cells
- the master cells which can grow into any type of tissue - are a popular area
of research.
The group
at the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health used urine as the
starting point.
Cells which
are normally passed from the body, such as those from the lining of the body's
waterworks, are harvested in the laboratory. These collected cells are then
coaxed into becoming stem cells.
A mix of
these cells and other material from a mouse was implanted into the animals.
The
researchers said that after three weeks the bundle of cells started to resemble
a tooth: "The tooth-like structure contained dental pulp, dentin, enamel
space and enamel organ."
However,
the "teeth" were not as hard as natural teeth.
This piece
of research is not immediately going to lead to new options for the dentist,
but the researchers say it could lead to further studies towards "the
final dream of total regeneration of human teeth for clinical therapy".
'Worst
source'
Prof Chris
Mason, a stem cell scientist at University College London, said urine was a
poor starting point.
"It is
probably one of the worst sources, there are very few cells in the first place
and the efficiency of turning them into stem cells is very low.
"You
just wouldn't do it in this way."
He also
warned that the risk of contamination, such as through bacteria, was much
higher than with other sources of cells.
Prof Mason
added: "The big challenge here is the teeth have got a pulp with nerve and
blood vessels which have to make sure they integrate to get permanent
teeth."
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