Researchers have successfully cultivated lab-grown human teeth cells within pigs' mouths, marking a potential breakthrough in the field of bioengineering. This development could pave the way for biological tooth substitutes in the future, addressing the limitations of synthetic dental implants.
ArticleBody:For the past two decades, scientists have been manipulating genes to grow human cells where you wouldn’t quite expect them. Human ears and skin have famously been grown on mice. More recently, early-stage human kidneys have even been grown in pig bellies. The world of bioengineering isn’t for the faint of heart. Much of this tinkering is done in the service of one day using genetically modified animals to create spare organs and tissue for human patients lacking access to donors.
Repeated chewing on misaligned synthetic teeth can cause damage to the jaw bone and eventually cause the implants to fail. Bacteria on the implant can also lead to potentially dangerous infections. Natural teeth, by contrast, don’t need to be drilled and are instead tethered to the jaw via ligament tissues, which can, in theory, reduce the risk of jaw damage down the line. That’s where the idea of growing natural teeth in pigs comes in.
BIOTECHNOLOGY DENTISTRY GENETIC ENGINEERING ORGAN REGENERATION ANIMAL MODELS
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