LONDON: Scientists in Japan have managed to grow teeth from stem
cells, a development that could make dentures redundant. The
researchers, from the University of Tokyo, succeeded in growing
a tooth "germ", a seed-like piece of tissue which contains the
cells and instructions necessary to form a tooth, which they
then transplanted into the jawbones of a mice. Hormones in the
animal's bodies also reacted to the transplant and helped the
teeth to grow. "This study demonstrates a technique that could
lead to the development of bioengineered organ replacements,
potentially providing a prelude to the ability to grow new,
fully functional bioengineered organs inside the body from stem
cells or other germ cells," said Takashi Tsuji, who led the
study, reported in the journal Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences. The technique could also be adapted to
other organs, allowing hearts, lungs and kidneys to be grown
inside the body to replace parts worn by age or damaged by
disease, the Daily Telegraph reported