Success: Lab-grown teeth successfully transplanted to mice

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 19 February 2007 17:42

Science - Biology

A breakthrough by Japanese researchers in growing teeth in a lab dish and successfully transplanting them into mice points way to an organ regeneration future and better ways to restore health and grant longer lives to humans.

In an article from Reuters,  we’ve learnt that Japanese researchers from the Tokyo University of Science in Chiba, Japan have successfully grown teeth in lab dishes and transplanted them into mice using ‘primitive cells’ – not as young as stem cells – with the result that the teeth happily grew normally in mice.

This points the way to a future when a few of your own cells could be used to grow new organs for your body, when your existing organs are damaged by disease or injury – with the result showing for the first time that this future is actually possible and not just a dream of medical science fiction.

According to the researchers quoted by Reuters, “To restore the partial loss of organ function, stem cell transplantation therapies have been developed. The ultimate goal of regenerative therapy, however, is to develop fully functioning bioengineered organs that can replace lost or damaged organs after disease, injury or aging.”

Researchers were pleased to discover that the artificially grown teeth had all the characteristics of normal teeth, and continued growing as such when transplanted into mice.

The researchers also said that: “Our reconstituted tooth germ generates a complete and entirely bioengineered tooth. This study thus provides the first evidence of a successful reconstitution of an entire organ via the transplantation of bioengineered material. Our present findings should also encourage the future development of organ replacement by regenerative therapy.”

So, the chance that you might live to 150 or beyond, through a combination of healthy lifestyle practices – and the backup of life-saving medical intervention through ‘organ upgrades’ has just gone up several notches. Look after your health – and when the time comes for an organ transplant or two – there’s every chance you’ll be strong enough to undergo the advanced surgery and add years, if not decades, to your life.