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Establishing Organoids from Human Tooth as a Powerful Tool Toward Mechanistic Research and Regenerative Therapy
Published on: April 13, 2022
Restoring physiological cell heterogeneity in the mesenchyme during tooth engineering
Laetitia-Véronique Keller1, Sabine Kuchler-Bopp, Hervé Lesot
1INSERM UMR977 Biomatériaux et ingénierie Tissulaire, Strasbourg, France.
The International Journal of Developmental Biology
|January 16, 2013
Summary
Understanding dental mesenchymal cell diversity is key for tooth regeneration. This study reveals how cell behavior changes in vitro and how implantation restores heterogeneity, crucial for tooth development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Tooth development relies on epithelial-mesenchymal interactions.
- Complete teeth can be formed by re-associating embryonic dental epithelial and mesenchymal cells.
- Mesenchymal cell diversity and patterning during tooth development remain poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare cell diversity and patterning in engineered versus developing teeth.
- To investigate the expression of cell surface markers in dental mesenchyme during tooth development and regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Immunostaining of cell surface markers in embryonic mouse molars (embryonic day 14).
- Analysis of cultured cell re-associations before and after implantation (two weeks).
- Comparison of mesenchymal cell phenotypes in situ and in vitro.
Main Results:
- Cell surface markers revealed complex patterning and differential timing of mesenchymal cell types.
- Mesenchymal cell phenotype changed rapidly in monolayer culture, impacting regenerative potential.
- In vitro culture affected vascularization markers, but other mesenchymal staining patterns were similar to in situ.
- Post-implantation, vascularization and mesenchymal heterogeneity resembled developing molars.
Conclusions:
- Mesenchymal cell phenotype instability in vitro can hinder tooth regeneration.
- Vascularization is essential for restoring mesenchymal heterogeneity after implantation.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for advancing dental tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
