Tooth enamel stem cells can patch cavities with 'living fillings'
A new study has shown how to grow tooth enamel using stem cells.Scientists at the University of Washington have grown mini teeth in the lab that secrete enamel-producing proteins. This could be the first step toward "living fillings" that patch cavities themselves. Perhaps even lab-grown replacement teeth will become available thanks to the discovery.
Enamel is the hardest tissue in the body, and it covers the teeth to protect them from wear and tear. But, over time, it wears away.
For a new study, scientists at the University of Washington looked at how it's produced naturally. Turns out, it's all about ameloblasts, which help teeth develop but "die out" after the job is done.
The scientists also used the single-cell combinatorial indexing method of RNA sequencing (sci-RNA-seq). It helped ameloblasts form new enamel from stem cells.
The cells arranged themselves in organoids, structures similar to those that develop teeth. They secreted three key proteins - ameloblastin, amelogenin and enalene - that formed a matrix that mineralized into enamel tissue. In other words, the cells were able to patch cavities with "living fillings."
The study was published in the journal Developmental Cell.