It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
Scientists in China say they have successfully grown a human tooth using stem cells taken from urine. Researchers say the technique could one day be used as a way to replace teeth lost through aging and poor dental hygiene, with the added bonus that urine is deemed a less controversial source of stem cells than human embryos.
The team at the Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health extracted cells contained in the urine which would normally be passed from the body, such as those from the lining of the body's waterworks, and managed to coax them into becoming stem cells.
They then used these to implant the teeth-like structures in mice, and said the resulting bundle of cells eventually contained “dental pulp, dentin, enamel space and enamel organ,” researchers said.
Originally posted by ShadellacZumbrum
reply to post by occrest
Just wait until they can grow and replace Brain Cells with Fecal Matter.
That will give a whole new meaning to " S[SNIP]T For Brains.
He said: “There are very few cells in the first place and the efficiency of turning them into stem cells is very low. You just wouldn't do it in this way.“
He also said the risk of contamination was much higher than with other sources of cells, and that there was a long way to go before science overcame “the big challenge” of getting nerve and blood vessels to integrate in newly-formed permanent teeth.
Originally posted by Biigs
As somone with poor teeth thanks to some crappy genetics, if and when they start getting holey and fall out its nice to know there may be an alternative to straight up, pop em in' grandpa style dentures.
I dont care if i have to start peeing in a bucket right now to collect enough stem cells! ha!
"piss your self to better dental care!"edit on 31-7-2013 by Biigs because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by AthiestJesus
Using them as replacements is dumb .
Not only would you need to have your face opened up to put them in your gums , the nerves wouldn't magically fuse and operate as normal.
They need to take what they have found - break it a little - and make it fix its self .
Repairing the existing teeth should be their goal .
Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
Originally posted by AthiestJesus
Using them as replacements is dumb .
Not only would you need to have your face opened up to put them in your gums , the nerves wouldn't magically fuse and operate as normal.
They need to take what they have found - break it a little - and make it fix its self .
Repairing the existing teeth should be their goal .
THis is the goal, from what I recollect.
There are stories out there about the advances in that particular vein of research.
Imagine the day when you will be able to have an injection in the tooth that causes it to regenerate......
Regenerative therapy....that would be an interesting discipline that Stem Cell Research can open up for us.
Originally posted by WonderBoi
Think about it like this, if real science were being used, a lot of people would need a new occupation. What good is finding a cure for something, when more money can be made without one? Those are the times we live in.