title: Development of transplanted pulp tissue containing epithelial sheath into a tooth-like structure.
abstract: The aim of these studies was to find out whether intact neonatal pulp tissue containing residual epithelial cells can induce the development of a tooth-like structure in situ. First maxillary neonatal hamster molar pulps containing adhering undifferentiated epithelial cells were transplanted submucosally in the oral cavity of recipient mothers for periods ranging from 2-8 weeks and the tissues were then processed for light microscopy. Developing tooth-like structures containing mineralised tubular dentine, predentine and a vascularised pulp-like chamber lined with functional odontoblast-like cells were observed in the specimens within 2 weeks of transplantation. Enamel and root formation were not observed. These data indicate that neonatal dental pulp tissues containing epithelial cell remnants have the capacity to develop into tooth-like structures and that this could be the explanation for the development of tooth-like structures sometimes observed in infants after extraction of a natal tooth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Cell Biology, ACTA, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lyaruu
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: van Croonenburg
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van Duin
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Bervoets
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wöltgens
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: de Blieck-Hogervorst
mesh_terms: D000566:Amelogenesis; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic; D006224:Cricetinae; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000637:transplantation*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D009804:Odontoblasts / Q000166:cytology; D013997:Time Factors; D016378:Tissue Transplantation; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D014083:Tooth Germ / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development