A
study from the University of Sheffield has identified a set of genes responsible for the continuous replacement of teeth seen in sharks. These genes are responsible for the formation and operation of special cells called the dental lamina that from new teeth - the same cells that form baby teeth and adult teeth in humans. Because the study showed that these genes have been conserved over hundreds of millions of years, they predict that these same genes made the first vertebrate teeth, and are also responsible for the production of human teeth.
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| A catshark |
The study, which analyzed the teeth of catshark embryos, also found that these genes were activated when the shark's teeth first form, when they emerge, and when the shark needs new teeth. They hope that the discovery of these genes will lead to new
treatments for tooth loss in humans.
What it sounds like to me is that they hope to find a way to reactivate these genes so that lost teeth can be replaced. If they can figure out how to do this, it would put a lot of dentists out of work, because who cares about toothcare when bad teeth can be automatically replaced? Seriously though, that probably wouldn't happen, because the treatment would probably be really expensive, at least at first, and in all likelihood would need to be reapplied for every tooth lost. Still, the idea of regaining good, strong, real teeth when some are lost is appealing. Though denture-making companies will lose some business.
