Dentists may, in the future, replace missing teeth by pieces that grow from cells of the gums, according to British researchers.
The team at King's College London took cells from adult gum tissue and combined with other types of cells from mice to grow a tooth.
Scientists say using a ready source of cells, the technique could be available to patients in the future.
But probably it will take many years and studies-before dentists can use this method.
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Other studies have focused on the use of embryonic stem cells to create "biodientes".
The scientists showed that it was possible to grow a tooth but they suggested, is expensive and impractical for everyday use in the dental clinic. In the latter study, took skin cells from patients gum, some more developed in the laboratory and mixed with mesenchymal cells (a type of stem cells) from mice.
Mesenchymal cells were cultured to act as "inducing", ie to instruct epithelial cells begin to grow as a tooth. When combining cells transplanted in mice, researchers were able to develop teeth hybrid mouse / human roots were viable, as reported in the trade publication Journal of Dental Research.
Next Steps
It is shown that when transplanted into small jaw "balls" the right kind of cells can develop into functional teeth. The next step is to get an easily accessible source of human mesenchymal cells and grow enough to be a useful technique to be performed in the clinic.
At the head of the studio is Professor Paul Sharpe, who said that could be found in the pulp mesenchymal cells from wisdom teeth, among other places, but the challenge is to get enough of them. "This breakthrough means that we have identified a population of cells that could be seen in the dental use. Now we are working to try to identify a simple way to obtain embryonic cells," said Sharpe. He added: "The challenge, from now on, is to identify a way to cultivate cells (human) to be adult mesenchymal inducer". Sharpe said the hope is that one day the technology could replace today's dental implants, which can not reproduce a structure from the natural root. In addition, friction in eating and other jaw movements can cause wear on the bone around the implant.
"If it will work, it has to be about the same price as a dental implant, so we have to find a way to make it easy and inexpensive," said the scientist.
Professor Alastair Sloan, an expert in bone biology and tissue engineering at the University of Cardiff, said the work was significant, but that there were still many obstacles before this technique achieves be available to patients.
"We used the gum cells that are developing a root, is an exciting step forward," he said adding, "we are still a long way from doing the same with an entire organ like a tooth, but the chain effect of this type of research is the development of bio-fillers, so that some aspects of this technology would be feasible within the next 10-15 years. "
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