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3D scaffold may help regenerate teeth from stem cells
28th May 2010
Human molar scaffolding from the lab of Dr Jeremy Mao
A new tissue regeneration technique may allow people to simply regrow a new set of teeth.
That's according to a study published in the Journal of Dental Research.
Dr Jeremy Mao, the Edward V. Zegarelli Professor of Dental Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, has unveiled a growth factor-infused 3D scaffold with the potential to regenerate an anatomically correct tooth in just nine weeks from implantation.
By using a procedure developed in the university's Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Dr Mao can direct the body's own stem cells toward the scaffold, which is made of natural materials.
Once the stem cells have colonised the scaffold, a tooth can grow in the socket and then merge with surrounding tissue.
An animal-model study has shown that by homing the stem cells to the scaffold made of natural materials and integrated in surrounding tissue, it can eliminate the need to grow teeth in a Petri dish and is the first to achieve regeneration of anatomically correct teeth by using the body's own resources.
Add to this a faster recovery time and the comparatively natural process of regrowth (as opposed to implantation), and the result is a dental treatment with massive appeal.
Dr Mao says: ‘A key consideration in tooth regeneration is finding a cost-effective approach that can translate into therapies for patients who cannot afford or who aren't good candidates for dental implants.
‘Cell-homing-based tooth regeneration may provide a tangible pathway toward clinical translation.'
Columbia University has already filed patent applications in regard to the technology and is seeking associates to aid in it going commercial.
Dr Mao is also considering the best approach for applying his technique to cost-effective clinical therapies.
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