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Joan Stephenson, PhD

JAMA. 2009;302(11):1161.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Researchers in Japan exploring ways to regenerate 3-dimensional organs grew new teeth in mice by implanting bioengineered tissue into the animals' jaws (Ikeda E et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009;106[32]:13475-13480).

Studies indicate that teeth, like most organs, arise from organ-specific embryonic tissue, or germs, through interactions between epithelial and mesenchymal cells. The researchers isolated epithelial and mesenchymal cells from molar tooth germs from mouse embryos, recombined them, and grew the resulting bioengineered germs in culture for 5 to 7 days. After transplanting the germs into the jaws of adult mice in the site where a molar had previously been extracted, new and fully functional teeth grew in place in 7 weeks.

After bioengineered tooth-specific embryonic tissue was implanted into the site of an extracted tooth in a mouse, a new tooth (arrowheads) erupted and grew into place within 7 weeks. (Photo credit: . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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