King's College scientists grow teeth in a lab in breakthrough
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A scientific team managed to achieve a breakthrough in growing lab-made teeth, closing gaps in the knowledge needed to achieve tooth regeneration in humans.
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A dentist holds a model of teeth and a toothbrush in Seattle on Aug. 3, 2018 (AP)
Scientists from King's College London have managed to grow teeth in a lab, an unprecedented breakthrough that will boost future research on the topic.
The King's team, in collaboration with Imperial College London, has successfully introduced a special type of material that enables cells to communicate with each other, allowing one cell to effectively instruct another to begin transforming into a tooth cell, which mimics the natural environment of tooth growth and enables scientists to replicate the process of tooth development in the lab.
Unlike conventional implants, which need surgery and proper jawbone alignment, lab-grown teeth would integrate naturally, avoiding rejection while offering greater durability, a biologically superior alternative to fillings or implants, according to King’s PhD researcher Xuechen Zhang
The scientists have successfully created the environment needed to grow teeth, but now face the challenge of translating this breakthrough from the lab to practical use in patients' mouths, a process that could take many more years to achieve.
"This idea of replacing the tooth in a biological way by regrowing it, drew me to London and to King's," explained Dr Ana Angelova-Volponi, director of regenerative dentistry, to the BBC. "By growing a tooth in a dish, we are really filling in the gaps of knowledge," she added.
"We have different ideas to put the teeth inside the mouth. We could transplant the young tooth cells at the location of the missing tooth and let them grow inside mouth," elaborated Zhang, a final-year PhD student at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences.
"Alternatively, we could create the whole tooth in the lab before placing it in the patient's mouth." Zhang added.
Saoirse O'Toole, a clinical lecturer in prosthodontics at King's College, expressed enthusiasm about the groundbreaking potential of this new tooth-regrowing technology, highlighting how it could revolutionize dental treatments by offering a transformative alternative to traditional methods.
"Will it come in my lifetime of practice? Possibly. In my children's dental lifetimes? Maybe. But in my children's children's lifetimes, hopefully," she continued.
