With the goal of eliminating tooth decay, scientists develop stem cell therapy: repair and regenerate damaged enamel

CTOnews.com, August 17 (Xinhua) A multidisciplinary research team from the University of Washington in Seattle recently developed enamel stem cells that successfully secrete enamel-forming proteins in a laboratory environment, resulting in the formation of miniature teeth.

Enamel is a substance that protects teeth from damage and decay and helps teeth withstand the pressure of chewing, but daily diet can wear out enamel, leading to cracks and dental caries.

During tooth formation, enamel is formed by special cells called enamel cells, which die after the tooth is fully formed. At present, the human body cannot repair or regenerate damaged enamel.

The findings are published in the journal Developmental Cell, where CTOnews.com attached a link for interested users to read in depth.

"We have taken the first step towards a long-term goal of developing stem cell therapy to repair damaged teeth and regenerate them," said Ammar Alghadeer, the lead author of the study from the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

The team used a technique called single-cell combinatorial index RNA sequencing (sci-RNA-seq) to reveal which genes are active at different stages of cell development.

The team used this technique to observe the development of human tooth cells and constructed the complete genetic activity track of undifferentiated stem cells developing and differentiating into enamel cells with the help of special Monocle algorithm.

After controlling the trajectory of this activity, the researchers were able to induce undifferentiated human stem cells into ameloblasts after many experiments and errors.