A US team has successfully bioengineered human-like teeth in pigs, marking a significant advancement in dental regenerative medicine.
The researchers from Tufts University in Massachusetts have published their findings in Stem Cells Translational Medicine.
The team created the teeth by combining soft tissue from both human and pig teeth in a laboratory setting. This composite tissue was then transplanted into the mouths of Yucatan mini pigs.
“The resulting bioengineered tooth bud constructs were implanted in the mandibles of adult Yucatan mini pigs and grown for two or four months,” the researchers said.
“We observed the formation of tooth-like tissues, including tooth-supporting periodontal ligament tissues, in cell-seeded decellularised tooth bud extracellular matrix constructs.”
The researchers noted that past bioengineering advances focused on using embryonic tooth bud cells and tissues to create small, functional teeth in rodents
“Our research focuses on creating bioengineered teeth,” the team said.
“In reality, the long-term survival of dental implants remains a health concern, based on their short-term predicted survival of ~15 years, significant potential for jawbone resorption, and risk of peri-implantitis.”
