In an effort to understand the evolutionary processes of tooth change, British biologists discovered a molecular signaling pathway in rodent dental bone and used genetic techniques to grow a new generation of teeth in mice. The technology is potentially applicable to humans.
People have two generations of teeth, and with the second we have to live to the end. Other animals, such as reptiles or fish, can regenerate teeth at any time. Mice and other rodents are monofiodonts, that is, they do not have milk teeth.
A group of scientists from King's College London, led by Professor Abigail Tucker, was the first to compare the expression of genes in the dental plate of a mouse and a pygmy pig, which has two sets of teeth. They found that the Wnt signaling pathway, which is usually required for tooth replacement in other vertebrates, is absent in the rudimentary form of the dental plate in mice, writes ZME Science.
Using genetic methods, the researchers activated this signaling pathway, restored its structure and, in the end, achieved the formation of new teeth.
The study showed that the rudimentary shape of the bone plate could underlie the technology of tooth replacement in mice and provide a sufficient foundation for experiments in the field of regenerative medicine.
In addition, scientists have noticed that the previous set of teeth affects the appearance of the next. This discovery may have meaning for humans as well, as we too have similar structures that inhibit the development of a third set of teeth.
A hydrogel that triggers tooth regeneration after root canal cleaning was developed in the United States last year. The substance stimulates the growth of stem cells and blood vessels inside the tooth and completely restores it.
Georgy Golovanov
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