Tooth regeneration with ‘realistic’ stem cells, study reveals

A new study has evaluated the potential use of stem cells in dental treatment, including the regeneration of bone, soft tissue and whole teeth.

Written by researchers at Sharad Pawar Dental College and Hospital, the study was published in Cureus diary on October 17.

He stated that stem cells can help regenerate bone and correct bone abnormalities. This would be particularly applicable to restorative dentistry cases where the craniofacial bone has been damaged by trauma. It was also found that the cells can help regenerate soft tissue in the mouth.

The researchers said that complete tooth regeneration ‘appears to be a realistic goal’. They found that regeneration of damaged dentin and pulp has already been proven possible.

‘Problematic and limited’

However, the potential for the use of stem cells in dentistry was considered ‘problematic and limited by a number of factors that are still out of control’.

One of the main obstacles of stem cell therapy was identified as immunological rejection. The study found that some types of transplanted stem cells are often rejected, including embryonic cells. This makes them less viable as a treatment option, in addition to ethical concerns about harvesting cells from an embryo.

This did not preclude the use of stem cells from other sources. Transplant rejection was uncommon when using adult stem cells obtained from organs such as tooth pulp or umbilical cords. It was concluded that oral and facial treatment was possible with stem cells grown from many different organs.

“Critical First Step”

In August, scientists from the University of Washington School of Dentistry succeeded in creating stem cell-based organoids that secrete proteins that form tooth enamel.

Professor Hai Zhang, co-author of the study, called this a “critical first step” in the development of stem cell-based dental treatments.

Professor Hannele Ruohola-Baker felt that stem cell therapy was more accessible in dentistry than other areas of health care. She said: “Many of the organs we would like to replace, such as the human pancreas, kidneys and brain, are large and complex. Regenerating them safely from stem cells will take time.

On the other hand, teeth are much smaller and less complex. They are probably the low hanging fruit. It may take some time before we can regenerate them, but now we can see the steps we need to take to get there.’

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