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cowtown cowtown is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2002
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Wow. That is really interesting. And once again shows why the curernt administration's policies on stem cell use are just downright wrong. Though it's not addressed in the article, it is clear that US companies are being prevented from taking the lead on some of this stuff due to W.


The procedure is fairly simple. Doctors take stem cells from the patient. These are unique in their ability to form any of the tissues that make up the body. By carefully nurturing the stem cells in a laboratory, scientists can nudge the cells down a path that will make them grow into a tooth. After a couple of weeks, the ball of cells, known as a bud, is ready to be implanted. Tests reveal what type of tooth - for example, a molar or an incisor - the bud will form.

Using a local anaesthetic, the tooth bud is inserted through a small incision into the gum. Within months, the cells will have matured into a fully-formed tooth, fused to the jawbone. As the tooth grows, it releases chemicals that encourage nerves and blood vessels to link up with it.

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Old 05-03-2004, 10:58 AM
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