Science Has Found A Way To Fully Regrow Broken Teeth
After successfully testing them in mice, they extended this to ferrets. In case you didn¡¯t know, they¡¯re far more complex than mice and they even have dental patterns similar to humans.
As children, our parents would often warn us from not eating too many sweets, claiming that it would result in me losing my teeth for life, because of sweet-induced cavities and decay, as after losing your milk tooth, if you lose another, that tooth isn¡¯t growing back again.
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And while that still remains to be true for most of us even today, a group of researchers in Japan are working on changing this very phenomenon.
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According to a study published in Science Advances, researchers have developed a way to make our body regrow teeth once again. To do this, the researchers from the universities of Kyoto and Fukui were specifically looking for molecules that are instrumental in the process of tooth growth.
Regrow broken teeth fully
However, there were several molecules that contributed to the growth of not just teeth but also other organs. So the process was rather challenging. The researchers however did know that a gene associated with tooth growth -- USAG-1 (Uterine Sensitization Associated Gene-1) could work as a potential target.
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Researchers administered monoclonal antibodies that targeted USAG-1 were offered to mice. Within just a single dose, researchers found that it was able to regenerate an entire tooth. After successfully testing them in mice, they extended this to ferrets. In case you didn¡¯t know, they¡¯re far more complex than mice and they even have dental patterns similar to humans.
Kyoto University
Manabu Sugai of the University of Fukui, one of the authors of the study explains, ¡°Conventional tissue engineering is not suitable for tooth regeneration. Our study shows that cell-free molecular therapy is effective for a wide range of congenital tooth agenesis.¡±
Researchers have stated that after successful results in ferrets, they would test it on pigs and dogs. However, humans might have to wait for some time for this treatment to be made available for them. Until then, brush your teeth twice a day and take proper dental care.
