In Vivo Evaluation of Decellularized Human Tooth Scaffold for Dental Tissue Regeneration.

Ik-Hwan Kim,Hyo-Seol Lee,Mijeong Jeon,Sun Kim,Chung Kang,Ko Lee,Yooseok Shin,Han-Sung Jung,Hyung-Jun Choi,Kyounga Cheon,Seong-Oh Kim,Je Song

doi:10.3390/app11188472

Abstract

Conventional root canal treatment may result in loss of tooth vitality, which can lead to unfavorable treatment outcomes. Notably, a ceased tooth development of immature permanent teeth with open apices, regeneration of periodontal ligaments (PDL), and pulp is highly expected healing process. For regeneration, the scaffold is one of the critical components that carry biological benefits. Therefore, this study evaluated a decellularized human tooth as a scaffold for the PDL and pulp tissue regeneration. A tooth scaffold was fabricated using an effective decellularization method as reported in previous studies. PDL stem cells (PDLSCs) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) obtained from human permanent teeth were inoculated onto decellularized scaffolds, then cultured to transplant into immunosuppressed mouse. After 9 weeks, PDLSCs and DPSCs that were inoculated onto decellularized tooth scaffolds and cultured in an in vivo demonstrated successful differentiation. In PDLSCs, a regeneration of the cementum/PDL complex could be expected. In DPSCs, the expression of genes related to revascularization and the hard tissue regeneration showed the possibility of pulp regeneration. This study suggested that the potential possible application of decellularized human tooth could be a scaffold in regeneration PDL and pulp tissue along with PDLSCs and DPSCs, respectively, as a novel treatment method.

Highlights

PDL stem cells (PDLSCs) were repopulated on dHPDLs and cell viability was observed after nine weeks of transplantation in mouse pockets
Cells in the control group were not inoculated, but repopulation on dHPDL ECMs was observed through hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson’s trichrome (MT) staining for the PDLSC group (Figure 1A,B,D,E)
The PDLSC group was stained while the control group was not (Figure 2)

Summary

Introduction

The aim of the conventional treatment for a tooth is removal of affected/infected tissue and bacteria, and replacement with inert or synthetic dental materials. This approach may result in loss of biological function and cessation of root development of immature permanent teeth, which will eventually cause the tooth to become susceptible to secondary infections, post-operative fractures, and loss of biological function [2,3]. Dental SCs (DSCs) are post-natal stem cells that have mesenchymal stem cell-like qualities, including the capacity for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation [12]. Various DSCs are being studied for their therapeutic potential [12] including tooth repair [14]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion