评论
打印
Ouch! About a quarter of all school-age kids will break or otherwise damage a tooth.
噢！大概四分之一的学龄儿童会弄掉或者损坏一颗牙。
Adults have their share of cracked chompers, too.
成年人也会有这种不善待牙齿的情况。
But what if fixing a busted bicuspid was as easy as zapping it with a laser?
但如果修补一个损坏的两尖齿变得和用激光磨牙一样容易会怎样？
Preliminary work with young rats has moved dentistry a small step in that direction.
一项针对幼鼠进行的初步试验已经将牙科治疗技术朝这种理想推进了一小步。
A new study finds that shining a low-power laser on damaged rat teeth activates molecular growth factors already present in the tissue.
一项最新的研究发现低能量激光照射过损伤的老鼠牙齿后能激活已经存在于组织中的生长因子。
These growth factors cue stem cells to generate dentin, the bonelike substance that teeth are mostly made of.
这些生长因子会提示干细胞修复牙本质，这是牙齿成分中的绝大部分组成物质。
Researchers also found that when mice were missing those growth factors or when the factors were blocked from working, the stem cells would not regenerate dentin when exposed to laser light.
研究人员们还发现，当失去产生这种生长因子的能力或者当这些因子的作用被阻断，即使同样暴露在激光条件下小鼠的干细胞也不能使牙本质再生。
That finding confirms the important role these signaling pathways play in dental development.
该研究结果确认了这些信号通路在牙齿发育过程中起到的重要作用。
The study, led by David Mooney at Harvard's Wyss Institute, is in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
这项在哈佛怀斯研究所的大卫摩尼指导下进行的研究已经在《科学杂志转化医学刊》上发表。
Could a light-based treatment for cavities and chipped teeth eventually be in the offing for people?
那么这一通过光对牙洞和牙损伤的治疗最终是否会造福人类呢？
The researchers plan to investigate that possibility for human teeth, both baby and adult.
研究人员们计划对于婴幼儿和成人进行牙齿修复的相关试验。
But until then, chew carefully.
但到那时，还是要仔细咀嚼。
And don't lead with your chin.
并且千万不要从下巴开始。
