King's College London Researches Discovered How to Regrow Teeth
Alyson Wyers — January 11, 2017 — Tech
References: nature & refinery29
A drug being used to treat Alzheimers has now also been shown to be able to regrow teeth. The findings of Professor Paul Sharpe regarding tideglusib were recently published in Nature. His research says the drug can support the natural repair process of a tooth. This could mean dental fillings as we know them could be supplanted by this discovery.
The drug restores vitality to the tooth, suggesting cement fillings will no longer be required to fix cavities. Tideglusib activates the stem cells at the center of the tooth and restricting the GSK-3 enzyme, giving teeth the ability to regenerate themselves at the enamel level. Sharpe suggests replacing traditional fillings with a tideglusib-soaked sponge to regrow teeth instead. Drilling will still be required, however.
The drug restores vitality to the tooth, suggesting cement fillings will no longer be required to fix cavities. Tideglusib activates the stem cells at the center of the tooth and restricting the GSK-3 enzyme, giving teeth the ability to regenerate themselves at the enamel level. Sharpe suggests replacing traditional fillings with a tideglusib-soaked sponge to regrow teeth instead. Drilling will still be required, however.
Trend Themes
1. Tooth-regenerating Drugs - The use of tideglusib in regrowing teeth opens up opportunities for developing more drugs targeted at tooth regeneration.
2. Replacing Traditional Fillings - Development of a tideglusib-soaked sponge to replace traditional fillings in regrowing teeth presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in dental care.
3. Stem Cell Activation - Studies on tideglusib suggest the possibility of developing drugs that target stem cells activation to support tissue regeneration in the body.
Industry Implications
1. Dental Care Industry - Tideglusib-based treatments for regenerating teeth present promising opportunities for innovation in dental care industry.
2. Pharmaceutical Industry - The discovery of tideglusib's ability to regrow teeth opens doors for pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs for tooth regeneration.
3. Regenerative Medicine Industry - Development of tideglusib-based drugs and sponge technology for tooth regeneration offers disruptive innovation opportunities in the regenerative medicine industry.
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