Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Developmental Biology
• Dental Research

Background:

• Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) is a group of inherited enamel defects impacting tooth structure and function.
• Gene editing offers a potential avenue for studying AI pathogenesis and developing therapeutic strategies.
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an emerging noninvasive imaging modality with potential for biological tissue analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of using OCT for real-time, quantitative monitoring of enamel development in gene-edited mice exhibiting AI.
• To compare OCT findings with established methods like scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) for enamel assessment.

Main Methods:

• Gene editing was employed to create anti-NF-κB activator 1 (Act1) mice, modeling AI.
• Wild-type (WT) and anti-Act1 mice were subjected to weekly OCT scans from 3 to 8 weeks of age.
• Mandibular bones were analyzed post-mortem using OCT, micro-CT, and SEM to correlate findings.

Main Results:

• OCT successfully visualized thinner outer enamel layers in anti-Act1 mice compared to WT controls, despite no difference in total thickness.
• A significant linear correlation was observed between OCT measurements and those obtained from micro-CT and SEM, validating OCT's accuracy.
• OCT provided rapid, noninvasive imaging of imperfectly developed enamel layers in mouse incisors.

Conclusions:

• OCT is a feasible and effective tool for noninvasive, real-time monitoring of enamel development and defects.
• This study demonstrates OCT's potential for quantitative assessment of enamel thickness and structural integrity in preclinical models.
• OCT imaging can aid in understanding the mechanisms of AI and evaluating interventions in gene-edited models.