Futurology @futurology.today RewindAgain @futurology.today 3w ago

Humans may be able to grow new teeth within just 6 years. Japanese researchers are advancing a promising tooth-regrowing medicine into human trials.

Scientists are on the verge of a dental miracle.

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Mark my words this is going to be used decoratively like a tattoo or a piercing
- Two words, penile implant.
  
  Vagina dentata
  
  That seems like overkill if you just want bumps.
- Waiting for someone to aiprompt what that would look like!
Lots of hopium in the article. The base treatment seems to be for 2-7 years old missing teeths.

I mean you can't just inject some stuff and have a random tooth grow out.
- I'm 36, so you telling me theres a chance I won't need dentures when I'm in my 70s?
  
  I mean tbh modern dentures are dope if you can afford them
  
  There's a crazy lot of stuff that will happen in the upcoming decades. IMO.
- Well, that's not actually the first thing they're testing:
  
  Now, scientists will see just how similar, because humans will soon undergo a similar trial in September of this year. Lasting 11 months, this study will focus on 30 males between the ages of 30 and 64—each missing at least one tooth. The drug will be administered intravenously to prove its effectiveness and safety, and luckily, no side effects have been reported in previous animal studies.
  
  I'm guessing the idea is to catch teeth that could have developed but never did (hey, I'm missing one that way). Otherwise I'm not sure how they'd control which type and how many show up.
  
  Annoyingly there's no English language link, so it's hard to say. I'm not even clear on what they did with the ferrets.
  
  Annoyingly there’s no English language link, so it’s hard to say. I’m not even clear on what they did with the ferrets.
  
  Here you go! https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abf1798
  
  A ferret got an extra tooth
- Based on the studies I've seen, that's exactly what the researchers are hoping for in the long run
  
  Crazy if it works, but the whole biotech field is boiling right now so who knows?
One question. How much? Unless its very very affordable i.e. cheaper than implants then it's just another dental resource I can't afford. In the US insurance companies will label this as cosmetic and thus only for the wealthy

Awesome science though, just hope some of the less fortunate can actually afford it
- I think some of this old article got lost in translation. I had seen a similar older article that had this only causing kids with a genetic defect that prevented their 2nd set of teeth from growing out (this posted article said the trial is being done on 2 to 7 year olds), so I'm doubtful it will do anything for adults that lost adult teeth. I think the article I had previously read said as much.
  
  this posted article said the trial is being done on 2 to 7 year olds
  
  Huh?
  
  Now, scientists will see just how similar, because humans will soon undergo a similar trial in September of this year. Lasting 11 months, this study will focus on 30 males between the ages of 30 and 64—each missing at least one tooth.
- As everywhere on lemmy it will be "oh no, only the rich will get it".
  
  Yes, as with every new treatment. But also, once it's ironed out, it will become available to everyone.
  
  No, communism won't solve the scarcity problem of a newly developed treatment, although it would imply a different distribution mechanism. And if socialist/communist society isn't a perfect utopia you somehow imagine we could transition to tomorrow, you'd see a distribution mechanism for those novel treatments to be unfair in other ways.
  
  So, here's what we have: money is being invested into novel treatment research, it's initially only affordable to the rich, then to those who're willing to sell their house for it, then to those with a private insurance, and then, eventually, to everyone.
  
  It's not a perfect system, but it's a system that gets us all better healthcare every year.
  
  So, ask yourself if maybe every one one of your comments always boils down to "I wish we lived in a communist utopia". Cuz, you know, I'm actually with you, but I don't see this running in circles being useful. And, for your default country, I also hardly see a way there through a democratic process.
  
  What a stupid take on someone relating their personal experience.
While bones can regrow themselves when they break, teeth aren’t so lucky, and that leads to millions of people worldwide suffering from some form of edentulism, a.k.a. toothlessness.

Now, Japanese researchers are moving a promising, tooth-regrowing medicine into human trials—the first patients will be receiving the drug intravenously in September of this year.

If the trial is successful, the researchers hope the drug will become available for all forms of toothlessness sometime around 2030.
- Ok, so how does it work? Does it regrow a single tooth if it’s missing, or do you have to pull them all out, and it regrows the whole set?
  
  It's likely an injection into the jaw. We already have the pathways to grow new teeth, and where. It's what kicks out milk teeth. It's likely a case of triggering it.
  
  Worst case, your old teeth fall out.
as usual i will most likely be dead before that becomes commercially available
- I hear this same claim every 5 years think its bullshit
If you accidentaly mix up your antibiotics ear drips with your tooth growing medicide, are you going to get ear teeth?
- Yes, helping people is fine and all but I think we can all agree the real question is can we grow extra teeth and where?
I can probably hold out but it’s going to be close .
Next up, contagious teratomas
"oh look, a horn, instructions didn't say anything about a horn, fuck, what to do now"
Do they have to be grown in the normal tooth places, or can I grow myself some teeth knuckle dusters?
Excellent! More teeth for the teeth cup.

40 comments