Finding a way to grow new teeth for patients

Scientists at the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) have partnered with Japanese and Russian colleagues to find a way to grow new teeth. They have identified cells that may be responsible for the formation of human dental tissue, and this may help advance tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and the development of novel dental treatments.

Dr Ivan Reva, senior researcher in the Laboratory for Cell and Molecular Neurobiology at the FEFU’s School of Biomedicine, said: “Numerous attempts to grow teeth from only the stem cells involved in the development of enamel, dentin and pulp, i.e. ameloblasts and odontoblasts, were not successful. There was no enamel on the samples, teeth were covered only by defective dentin. The absence of an easily accessible source of cells for growing dental tissue seriously restricts the development of a bioengineering approach to dental treatment. To develop technologies of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, promising methods of treatment in dentistry, the cells identified by us may become the clue to the new level of quality dental treatment. Natural implants that are completely identical to human teeth will no doubt be better than titanium ones, and their lifespan can be longer than that of artificial ones, which are guaranteed for 10 to 15 years. Although for a successful experiment, we still have a lack of knowledge about intercellular signalling interactions during the teeth development.”