4 ms·

It would be good to regenerate at least teeth.

by avodonosov 10y ago

awqrre 10y ago
that was my first thought as well ( I just had a bad dentist experience... )
- avodonosov 10y ago
  I've read of a research to grow teeth from stem cells (but I'm not sure the sources of this info were reliable)
Turing_Machine 10y ago
Teeth might also be a good area to look at in terms of figuring out how it works. Since most people already grow two full sets of teeth, and I believe there are numerous cases on record of people who have grown more than that, perhaps the regeneration genes are already partially activated in that region of the body.
- aninhumer 10y ago
  I'm not a dentist, but I get the impression that milk teeth and adult teeth are different things, not a regeneration cycle?
  - Asooka 10y ago
    Yep. If you're morbidly curious, you can google "baby skulls" (unsettling on so many levels, to be honest) to see how we're all born with TWO sets of teeth in our jaws. One just falls off as the ones above them push them out.
m0llusk 10y ago
Regenerating body parts doesn't happen because it is hugely expensive in terms of biochemical resources. Teeth are the most materially expensive parts of the human body. That is why teeth are often the most long lasting and best preserved human remains.
- guitarbill 10y ago
  And yet, sharks do it. Also, the skeleton is similarly long lasting and that gets renewed. So why not? Say a finger, which isn't too "expensive in terms of biochemical resources", why not regrow that? Take the acorn worm mentioned, in proportion to the worm regrowing itself must be really expensive. I don't think this too expensive argument explains it.
  - danans 10y ago
    It turns out that while sharks' teeth are functionally analogous to mammal teeth, they have an independent evolutionary origin - they are actually a specialized type of skin scale. http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/white_shark/teeth.htm http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/white_shark/teeth.h... It's apparently one reason why they can replace them constantly.
  - Ygg2 10y ago
    Shark also have rows of them.
fourstar 10y ago
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3676060/The-end-root-canals-Revolutionary-stem-cell-fillings-trigger-teeth-repair-themselves.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3676060/The-e... http://www.cda.org/news-events/learn-about-stem-cell-tooth-regeneration-advancements http://www.cda.org/news-events/learn-about-stem-cell-tooth-r... I've spoken to Dr. Vining and it's probably about 50-60 years out in practice.
Robadob 10y ago
I believe the hairs within the ear also don't regenerate (leading to deafness when damaged through loud noises).

It would be good to regenerate at least teeth.

awqrre 10y ago

that was my first thought as well ( I just had a bad dentist experience... )

avodonosov 10y ago
I've read of a research to grow teeth from stem cells (but I'm not sure the sources of this info were reliable)

Turing_Machine 10y ago

Teeth might also be a good area to look at in terms of figuring out how it works. Since most people already grow two full sets of teeth, and I believe there are numerous cases on record of people who have grown more than that, perhaps the regeneration genes are already partially activated in that region of the body.

aninhumer 10y ago
I'm not a dentist, but I get the impression that milk teeth and adult teeth are different things, not a regeneration cycle?
- Asooka 10y ago
  Yep. If you're morbidly curious, you can google "baby skulls" (unsettling on so many levels, to be honest) to see how we're all born with TWO sets of teeth in our jaws. One just falls off as the ones above them push them out.

m0llusk 10y ago

Regenerating body parts doesn't happen because it is hugely expensive in terms of biochemical resources. Teeth are the most materially expensive parts of the human body. That is why teeth are often the most long lasting and best preserved human remains.

guitarbill 10y ago
And yet, sharks do it. Also, the skeleton is similarly long lasting and that gets renewed. So why not? Say a finger, which isn't too "expensive in terms of biochemical resources", why not regrow that? Take the acorn worm mentioned, in proportion to the worm regrowing itself must be really expensive. I don't think this too expensive argument explains it.
- danans 10y ago
  It turns out that while sharks' teeth are functionally analogous to mammal teeth, they have an independent evolutionary origin - they are actually a specialized type of skin scale. http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/white_shark/teeth.htm http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/white_shark/teeth.h... It's apparently one reason why they can replace them constantly.
- Ygg2 10y ago
  Shark also have rows of them.

fourstar 10y ago

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3676060/The-end-root-canals-Revolutionary-stem-cell-fillings-trigger-teeth-repair-themselves.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3676060/The-e... http://www.cda.org/news-events/learn-about-stem-cell-tooth-regeneration-advancements http://www.cda.org/news-events/learn-about-stem-cell-tooth-r... I've spoken to Dr. Vining and it's probably about 50-60 years out in practice.

Robadob 10y ago

I believe the hairs within the ear also don't regenerate (leading to deafness when damaged through loud noises).