TECHNOLOGY FOR CHANGE

Stem Cell Technology Allows for In-Mouth Tooth Regeneration

Rebecca Kutzer-Rice | Date: 06-07-10 | Comments

Researchers from Columbia University have used stem cell technology to develop a method of growing teeth directly in a patient�s mouth.

George Washington�s dentures were fashioned from elephant ivory, hippopotamus and gold. False teeth today are mostly made from porcelain and plastic. If research at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine is successful, the dental implants of tomorrow may not be fake at all, but grown with stem cells in a patient�s own mouth.

Nearly 4 percent of adult Americans have no remaining teeth, and many more adults are missing one to several teeth, lost mainly to oral disease and injury. The physical, social and psychological effects of tooth loss can be damaging via speech impediments, eating problems and social discrimination. Despite the many victims of tooth loss, modern methods of tooth replacement are far from perfect. Dentures can be embarrassing, uncomfortable and inconvenient to maintain. Dental implants are painful and can take up to 18 months to heal. Since many insurance companies consider them to be cosmetic procedures, both methods can be quite expensive.

Lacking many of these disadvantages, a new technique pioneered by Dr. Jeremy Mao, the Edward V. Zegarelli Professor of Dental Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, holds promise for a new generation of dental repair. While other methods of growing teeth occur outside of the body�such as in a Petri dish�Dr. Mao�s new technique allows teeth to be grown �orthotopically� within the mouth. In the process, which has been analyzed in an animal-model study, stem cells are directed to a three-dimensional scaffolding made of natural materials and integrated into oral tissue. Unlike metal and other materials, naturally grown teeth assimilate in the mouth socket completely and could lead to a lifetime of comfortable tooth replacement.

Scaffolding provides a growth place for stem-cell-based teeth (source: Columbia University Medical Center).

Dr. Ira Lamster, dean of Columbia�s College of Dental Medicine, is enthusiastic about this new technique. �This research provides an example of what is achievable when today�s biology is applied to common clinical problems. Dr. Mao�s research is a look into the future of dental medicine,� he says.

The research was supported by funding from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Columbia is actively seeking partners to help commercialize the technology.