Lost and broken teeth could one day be regrown, scientists believe, after finding the stem cells responsible for tooth formation and the gene that switches them on.
Scientists at the University of Plymouth discovered a new group of stem cells that form skeletal tissue and contribute to making dentin, the hard tissue that surrounds the main body of the tooth. They also showed that a gene named Dlk1 sparks the stem cells into action, so they can mend damage such as decaying, crumbling or cracked teeth.
Nothing can be done to repair damaged teeth apart from using fillings or crowns. But the body clearly can grow new teeth, as seen after milk teeth fall out.
Dr Bing Hu, who led the research, published in the journal Nature Communications, said: "Stem cells are so important as, in the future, they could be used by laboratories to regenerate tissues that have been damaged or lost due to disease — so it's vital to understand how they work.
"By uncovering the new stem cells that make the main body of a tooth and establishing their vital use of Dlk1 in regenerating the tissue, we have taken major steps in understanding stem cell regeneration. The work has taken place in lab models at this stage, and further work needs to be done before we can bring them in to human use.
