Regenerating Teeth and Skin

Gort... at work... saving Klaatu, The Day the Earth Stood Still, (1951)

For a multitude of reasons one of the best movies I saw during my childhood was the 1951 version of The Day the Earth Stood Still. I liked the message, of course, and the mind boggling “ray” that Gort used to disintegrate weapons and a tank.

But, even more, I like the scene when Gort turns on some fantastic device and brings Klaatu back to life. That one stuck with me for all these years.

While we have yet to develop the “bring back from the dead” technology that revived Klaatu, we are making some advances.

For instance, PolarityTE’s recent announcement that they created a way to “fully regrow skin after third-degree burns”.

And,

About your root canals… they eventually will give you some trouble and your teeth will have to come out. Still, you may be among the lucky due to the researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (Portland, Oregon). They have develop a process to engineer artificial blood vessels which are used to help regenerate teeth, possibly changing the way root canal treatments will be done in the future.”

Here are the stories:

Humans may be able to regrow skin after severe burns

 “While reconstructive surgery techniques have improved greatly over the last decade or two, there's one goal that remains elusive: actual regrowth of human skin. But now, scientists may be one step closer: Yesterday, Salt Lake City-based biotech company Polarity TE, Inc. announced that they had 'regenerated full-thickness, organized skin and hair follicles in third degree burn wounds' in pigs."

As far as we know, this is the first time anyone's been able to fully regrow skin after third-degree burns. According to PolarityTE, the SkinTE technique works by taking a biopsy of the patient's non-damaged skin, though it's not exactly clear how the healthy skin is reintroduced into the wound. The (somewhat graphic) photos on their website show the progression of regeneration, eventually covering the entire wound with no scarring and regrowth of all layers of skin, including hair follicles.”

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Humans may be able to regrow skin after severe burns, Swapna Krishna, www.engadget.com. 19 June 2017.

Study: Use of prefabricated blood vessels may revolutionize root canals

“While root canals are effective in saving a tooth that has become infected or decayed, this age-old procedure may cause teeth to become brittle and susceptible to fracture over time. Now researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon, have developed a process by which they can engineer new blood vessels in teeth, creating better long-term outcomes for patients and clinicians.”

“Their findings published online today in the journal Scientific Reports.”

“More than 15 million root canals are conducted annually in the United States. The current procedure involves removing infected dental tissues and replacing them with synthetic biomaterials covered by a protective crown.”

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Study: Use of prefabricated blood vessels may revolutionizeroot canals, Tracy Brawley, Oregon Health & Science University, 12 June 2017.