Fully functional bioengineered tooth replacement as an organ replacement therapy.
Current approaches to the development of regenerative therapies have been influenced by our understanding of embryonic development, stem cell biology, and tissue engineering technology. The ultimate goal of regenerative therapy is to develop fully functioning bioengineered organs which work in cooperation with surrounding tissues to replace organs that were lost or damaged as a result of disease, injury, or aging. Here, we report a successful fully functioning tooth replacement in an adult mouse achieved through the transplantation of bioengineered tooth germ into the alveolar bone in the lost tooth region. We propose this technology as a model for future organ replacement therapies. The bioengineered tooth, which was erupted and occluded, had the correct tooth structure, hardness of mineralized tissues for mastication, and response to noxious stimulations such as mechanical stress and pain in cooperation with other oral and maxillofacial tissues. This study represents a substantial advance and emphasizes the potential for bioengineered organ replacement in future regenerative therapies.
Ikeda
Etsuko
E
Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan.
Morita
Ritsuko
R
Nakao
Kazuhisa
K
Ishida
Kentaro
K
Nakamura
Takashi
T
Takano-Yamamoto
Teruko
T
Ogawa
Miho
M
Mizuno
Mitsumasa
M
Kasugai
Shohei
S
Tsuji
Takashi
T
D000818:Animals; D021522:Bioartificial Organs; D006244:Hardness; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000473:pathology; D044968:Regenerative Medicine; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D014070:Tooth / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014078:Tooth Eruption / Q000502:physiology*