A genetic variation in dental pulp stem cells enables continuous regeneration, enabling them to restore teeth from within.
Video Transcript:
Hi, Madina here and welcome back to Stem Cell Talks. Today we want to talk about a groundbreaking new study where researchers discovered a new property of dental pulp stem cells also known as DPSCs. Now our regular viewers will recall that over the past year several successful clinical and pre-clinical studies have been conducted to investigate the application of human DPSCs to treat damage from root canals and physical injuries to teeth.
Now, a team of the University of Plymouth has identified a genetic variation in DPSCs that enables them to continuously regenerate and restore teeth from within. This means that teeth that suffer from both physical injury and decay from cavities or root canals could one day be repaired automatically by the body’s own natural repair and maintenance mechanisms.
The recently discovered gene called Dlk1 was isolated from DPSCs of rodents whose teeth undergo growth and repair throughout their lives.
The gene was found to enhance stem cell activation and tooth repair and with DPSCs already possessing powerful regenerative qualities, enhancing their function could serve to further improve regenerative and restorative dental treatments. Researchers are now focusing on activating the expression of this gene in human DPSCs. If successful, painful and temporary dental treatments for injuries and other afflictions could soon be a thing of the past. Gene activation protocols could also be used in conjunction with conventional treatments to expedite healing times and create more permanent solutions.
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