Pulp and dentin tissue engineering and regeneration: current progress.
Dental pulp tissue is vulnerable to infection. Entire pulp amputation followed by pulp-space disinfection and filling with an artificial rubber-like material is employed to treat the infection - commonly known as root-canal therapy. Regeneration of pulp tissue has been difficult as the tissue is encased in dentin without collateral blood supply except from the root apical end. However, with the advent of the concept of modern tissue engineering and the discovery of dental stem cells, regeneration of pulp and dentin has been tested. This article will review the early attempts to regenerate pulp tissue and the current endeavor of pulp and dentin tissue engineering, and regeneration. The prospective outcome of the current advancement in this line of research will be discussed.
Huang
George T J
GT
Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine, Section of Oral & Diagnostic Sciences, Division of Endodontics, 630 West 168th St. Ph7 E, Rm 117, New York, NY 10032, USA. gth2102@columbia.edu
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000098:blood supply / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D003804:Dentin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells; D051379:Mice; D012038:Regeneration; D044968:Regenerative Medicine / Q000639:trends; D023822:Tissue Engineering