Scientists at King's College London have successfully cultivated human teeth in the laboratory, which is expected to replace traditional dental fillings, implants and other treatments in the future, bringing patients a more natural and long-lasting alternative to teeth.

It is a well-known fact that once an adult loses a tooth, it cannot regenerate naturally and can only rely on alternatives such as fillings, implants, or dentures. However, these methods often have limitations, such as fillings that weaken the tooth structure, dental implants that require invasive surgery and may be at risk of rejection.

Scientists at King's College London have been working in the fields of dentistry, oral and craniofacial sciences for many years, and have been working on dental re-biotechnology. Their research focuses on mimicking the natural environment in which teeth grow and using the body's own cells to grow teeth.

"Fillings are not the best solution for restoration," says Xuechen Zhang (pictured left), PhD student in the Department of Dentistry, Dentistry and Craniofacial Sciences at King's College London. They are stronger, longer-lasting, and have no risk of rejection, providing a more durable and biocompatible solution. ”

Xuechen Zhang observes tooth cells on a computer.

In the latest study, a team at King's College London, in collaboration with Imperial College London, has developed a special material that facilitates cell-to-cell communication. The material slowly releases signals that mimic the process of tooth development in the body, allowing cells to communicate with each other and activate the tooth-forming process, creating the basis for recreating the early stages of tooth development in the laboratory.

Dr. Ana Angelova Volponi, also corresponding author of the paper (pictured right), noted, "As the field advances, the integration of these innovative technologies has the potential to revolutionize dental care and provide sustainable and effective solutions for tooth restoration and regeneration." ”

Ana Angelova Volponi博士拿著一顆牙齒。

The next step for scientists is to study how to implant lab-grown teeth into patients' mouths. They had two main ideas: one was to transplant young tooth cells into the missing tooth and let them grow in the mouth; The other is to grow a complete tooth in a laboratory before implanting it in the patient's mouth.

It's good news to be able to successfully grow teeth in the lab, but it's important to keep brushing because it will take years for it to be used in the clinic.

研究已發表在《ACS Macro Letters》期刊。

(Image source: King's College London)