Breakthroughs in Human Tissue Regeneration: Corneas, Hearing, and Teeth
tomchapin · x · 2026-08-06
Medicine is shifting from viewing lost body parts as permanent to actively regenerating them. Significant progress is being made across several areas:
- Cornea: Holoclar, an approved therapy, uses a patient's own stem cells to rebuild corneas damaged by chemical burns, with a 77% success rate and results lasting ten years.
- Hearing: A Regeneron gene therapy delivers a functional gene to the inner ear. In trials, 11 of 12 children born deaf gained hearing, with some reaching near-normal levels.
- Teeth: A Japanese antibody has shown the ability to wake dormant tooth buds, potentially allowing humans to grow a third set of teeth.
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