7/14/2011 PERMALINK
Researchers extract stem cells and grow fully functional new replacement teeth. Takashi Tsuji from Tokyo University of Science and his team removed two different stem cells from the molar teeth of mice and placed them in a tooth-shaped mold in their lab. Once the cells grew into full tooth units, the researchers then transplanted their stem-cell created teeth into the jaws of one-month-old mice. These transplanted teeth fused with the jaw bones and tissues in an average of around 40 days and nerve fibers were detected growing in the lab engineered teeth. There were no complications. Mice receiving the lab-grown teeth were able to chew normally.