[Oradlist] Teeth grown to order

[TSIKLAKIS. K]

Hi from Athens,

I was approached today  by three local radio stations in order to comment
about the implantation of germ cells and the formation of a 'tooth" in
experimental animals. I had only seen the press on Sunday, where there was a
lot about the new discovery and articles with titles like: 'No more
Dentures. Now our teeth can erupt again and again'.
I was then informed that the topic was on BBC News for a couple of days.
As I discussed with some colleagues in the University (A Greek researcher is
in Paul Sharpe's team) the result was a very small, amorphous tooth.
If I have any more information, I will be back.

Regards

Kostas

Dr. Kostas Tsiklakis
Professor and Chairman
Dept. of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology
Univ. of Athens, School of Dentistry
Athens. Greece
ktsiklak at dent.uoa.gr

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gibbs, S Julian" <s.julian.gibbs at vanderbilt.edu>
To: "Oral Radiol mail list" <oradlist at lists.ucla.edu>
Sent: Monday, May 03, 2004 9:43 PM
Subject: [Oradlist] Teeth grown to order


> The following was forwarded to me today.  Anybody out there
> familiar with it?
>
> Julian
>
> <A
> HREF="http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1128489/posts">Grow-
> your-own to replace false teeth</A>
> <A
> HREF="http://www.freerepublic.com/%5Ehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/medi
> cine/story/0,11381,1208510,00.html">The Guardian ^</A> | May 3,
> 2004 | Ian Sample
> The British institution of dentures sitting in a glass of water
> beside the
> bed could be rendered obsolete by scientists who are confident that
> people will
> soon be able to replace lost teeth by growing new ones. Instead of
> false
> teeth, a small ball of cells capable of growing into a new tooth
> will be implanted
> where the missing one used to be. The procedure needs only a local
> anaesthetic
> and the new tooth should be fully formed within a few months of the
> cells
> being implanted. Paul Sharpe, a specialist in the field of
> regenerative dentistry
> at the Dental Institute of King's College, London, says the new
> procedure has
> distinct advantages over false teeth that require a metal post to
> be driven
> into the jaw before being capped with a porcelain or plastic tooth.
> "The
> surgery today can be extensive and you need to have good solid bone
> in the jaw and
> that is a major problem for some people," Professor Sharpe said.
> The method
> could be used on far more patients because the ball of cells that
> grows into a
> tooth also produces bone that anchors to the jaw. The choice of
> growing a new
> tooth is likely to appeal to patients. "Anyone who has lost teeth
> will tell you
> that, given the chance, they would rather have their own teeth than
> false
> ones," said Prof Sharpe. The average Briton over 50 has lost 12
> teeth from a set
> of 32. The procedure is fairly simple. Doctors take stem cells from
> the
> patient. These are unique in their ability to form any of the
> tissues that make up
> the body. By carefully nurturing the stem cells in a laboratory,
> scientists can
> nudge the cells down a path that will make them grow into a tooth.
> After a
> couple of weeks, the ball of cells, known as a bud, is ready to be
> implanted.
> Tests reveal what type of tooth - for example, a molar or an
> incisor - the bud
> will form. Using a local anaesthetic, the tooth bud is inserted
> through a small
> incision into the gum. Within months, the cells will have matured
> into a
> fully-formed tooth, fused to the jawbone. As the tooth grows, it
> releases chemicals
> that encourage nerves and blood vessels to link up with it. Tests
> have shown
> the technique to work in mice, where new teeth took weeks to grow.
> "There's no
> reason why it shouldn't work in humans, the principles are the
> same," said
> Prof Sharpe. His team has set up a company, Odontis, to exploit the
> technique,
> and has won £400,000 from the National Endowment for Science,
> Technology and
> the Arts and the Wellcome Trust.
>
>
>
> ***********************************************************
> S. Julian Gibbs, DDS, PhD              Office: 615-322-1477
> Professor, Emeritus
> Dept. of Radiology & Radiological Sciences
> Vanderbilt University Medical Center     Home: 615-356-3615
> 209 Oxford House        Email:s.julian.gibbs at vanderbilt.edu
> Nashville TN 37232-4245     or alias:j.gibbs at vanderbilt.edu
> ***********************************************************
> When health is absent
>           -Wisdom cannot reveal itself,
>           -Art cannot become manifest,
>           -Strength cannot fight,
>           -Wealth becomes useless and
>           -Intelligence cannot be applied.
>                           -Herophilus, 325 B.C.
>                            Physician to Alexander the Great
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