If you think you’ve heard about all the cool regenerative medicine uses for stem cells, think again. A group of researchers from Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health in China have used stem cells from urine to grow human teeth.
According to a BBC News report:
Cells which are normally passed from the body, such as those from the lining of the body’s waterworks, are harvested in the laboratory. These collected cells are then coaxed into becoming stem cells.
The induced pluripotent stem cells were developed into epithelial cells which cover the surface of the body. The epithelial cells were combined with mouse embryonic mesenchymal cells. Together they grew components of teeth — enamel, dentin, cementum and pulp and transplanted them into mice. They were not as strong as human teeth and were likened to tooth buds.
One reason why many of us may not have heard about this technology before now is that it’s not the best the source of stem cells, Chris Mason, a professor and stem cell scientist from the University College London, told the BBC:
“It is probably one of the worst sources, there are very few cells in the first place and the efficiency of turning them into stem cells is very low.”
He added that stem cells also carry a higher contamination risk than other cells.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
It seems like a lot of work considering the cheaper options available on the market, like implants. But it underscores the widespread interest in advancing stem cell technology.
[Photo from Flickr user Daniel Fuentes]
