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Author Spotlight: Advancing Tissue Regeneration and Disease Modeling with Dental Pulp Stem Cells
Published on: May 5, 2023
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Contraction dynamics of dental pulp cell rod microtissues
Gunpreet Oberoi1,2,3, Klara Janjić1,2, Anna Sonja Müller1,2
1Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Sensengasse 2a, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Clinical Oral Investigations
|May 23, 2019
Summary
Dental pulp cells form rod-shaped microtissues that condense into spheroids. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway inhibition affects this contraction, offering insights for regenerative endodontology and bioprinting applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cell Biology
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Dental pulp cells are crucial for tooth regeneration.
- Understanding microtissue morphology changes is vital for regenerative endodontology.
- Cell-signaling pathways influencing microtissue shape are largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the contraction dynamics of rod-shaped dental pulp cell-derived microtissues.
- To examine the underlying cell signaling pathways, including TGF-β and PI3K/AKT/MAPK.
- To assess the stability and viability of these microtissues over time.
Main Methods:
- Human dental pulp cells were cultured into rod-shaped microtissues using agarose molds.
- Cytotoxicity, Live/Dead, and histological staining were employed for evaluation.
- Rod contraction was monitored for 10 days, with specific pathway inhibitors used.
Main Results:
- Dental pulp cell microtissues maintained rod shape for 48 hours before condensing into vital spheroids.
- Inhibition of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway significantly slowed rod length reduction.
- TGF-β signaling inhibition showed no significant impact on microtissue contraction.
Conclusions:
- Dental pulp cells form rod microtissues that naturally condense into stable spheroids.
- Microtissue contraction dynamics must be considered in bioprinting and fabrication technologies.
- Findings provide a novel platform for testing regenerative strategies in endodontology.
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