PET PET
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
Become a Friend Donate
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements
PETBioNewsNewsThe cutting edge of stem cell research

BioNews

The cutting edge of stem cell research

Published 9 June 2009 posted in News and appears in BioNews 264

Author

BioNews

Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false colour).
CC BY 4.0
Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false-coloured cryogenic scanning electron micrograph).

A team from King's College London has grown teeth from transplanted cells in the jaws of mice. In the first experiment of its kind, the researchers, lead by Professor Paul Sharpe, grew the teeth by transplanting tooth buds from embryos, which then grew into normal teeth. In a separate experiment...

A team from King's College London has grown teeth from transplanted cells in the jaws of mice. In the first experiment of its kind, the researchers, lead by Professor Paul Sharpe, grew the teeth by transplanting tooth buds from embryos, which then grew into normal teeth. In a separate experiment, the research team demonstrated the ability to make tooth buds from stem cells and that these stem cells grow in the kidneys of mice. Sharpe hopes that stem cell derived tooth buds will be used to grow teeth in the mouths of dental patients.


A second study, published in the same issue of the Journal of Dental Research, concentrates on adult dental stem cells. The team, from the Forsyth Institute (Boston, US), grew engineered teeth on a scaffold, then transplanted them into rats. Pamela Yelick, lead investigator, said, 'ideally what would happen is you would implant a [material] seeded with these dental stem cells and just implant that in the jaw. It would be similar to growing a baby tooth'.


There are hopes of clinical trials within a decade, but many obstacles remain. Extracting bone marrow stem cells is a painful surgical procedure, so Sharpe may have to switch to using dental stem cells. Taking lining cells from the mouths of human embryos is not without ethical controversy, and the cells may be rejected or lead to cancer. And there is also the difficulty of growing the cells to the correct shape and size, although this should be overcome using scaffolds or the right combination of molecular signals.


Replacing lost teeth is big business. With the average over 50 year old in the western world missing twelve teeth, the market is currently estimated at around US$ 900 million and expected to grow 15-20% per annum for the next 5-6 years. Sharpe, hoping to commercialise the stem cell technique, set up Odontis Ltd, which received £100,000 in funding from NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) earlier this year. He said: 'A key medical advantage of our technology is that a living tooth can preserve the health of the surrounding tissues much better than artificial prosthesis'.

Related Articles

Image by K Hardy via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human embryo at the blastocyst stage (about six days after fertilisation) 'hatching' out of the zona pellucida.
CC BY 4.0
Image by K Hardy via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human embryo at the blastocyst stage (about six days after fertilisation) 'hatching' out of the zona pellucida.
News
15 November 2012 • 1 minute read

Mouse gets lab-grown tooth transplant

by Rosemary Paxman

A tooth grown from stem cells and successfully implanted into the jaw of a mouse has been hailed as a step towards the development of human organs grown from a patient's own cells...

Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false colour).
CC BY 4.0
Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false-coloured cryogenic scanning electron micrograph).
News
10 August 2009 • 1 minute read

Scientists use stem cells to grow replacement teeth in mice

by Rosie Beauchamp

A study published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported that scientists in Tokyo have successfully grow teeth in mice using stem cells...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« New storage guidelines issued for UK fertility clinics

Data-Label The UK's Leading Supplier Of Medical Labels & Asset Labels

RetiringDentist.co.uk The UK's Leading M&A Company.

Find out how you can advertise here
easyfundraising
amazon

This month in BioNews

  • Popular
  • Recent
8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Placenta and organ formation observed in mouse embryo models

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Lower hormone doses may improve IVF egg quality

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Boosting muscle cell production of gene therapy proteins

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

First UK medical guidelines issued for trans fertility preservation

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Male age has more impact on IVF birth rate than previously thought

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Call to end ban on HIV-positive partner gamete 'donation'

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Melanoma invades new tissues using nerve cell gene

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Exceeding alcohol limits could damage DNA and accelerate ageing

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Blood cell gene mutations affect mitochondria, increasing cardiovascular disease risk

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Jumping gene helps immune system fight viruses

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
PET PET

PET is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • BioNews
  • Events
  • Engagement
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us

BioNews

  • News
  • Comment
  • Reviews
  • Elsewhere
  • Topics
  • Glossary
  • Newsletters

Other

  • My Account
  • Subscribe

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856