title: Biological synthesis of tooth enamel instructed by an artificial matrix.
abstract: The regenerative capability of enamel, the hardest tissue in the vertebrate body, is fundamentally limited due to cell apoptosis following maturation of the tissue. Synthetic strategies to promote enamel formation have the potential to repair damage, increase the longevity of teeth and improve the understanding of the events leading to tissue formation. Using a self-assembling bioactive matrix, we demonstrate the ability to induce ectopic formation of enamel at chosen sites adjacent to a mouse incisor cultured in vivo under the kidney capsule. The resulting material reveals the highly organized, hierarchical structure of hydroxyapatite crystallites similar to native enamel. This artificially triggered formation of organized mineral demonstrates a pathway for developing cell fabricated materials for treatment of dental caries, the most ubiquitous disease in man. Additionally, the artificial matrix provides a unique tool to probe cellular mechanisms involved in tissue formation further enabling the development of tooth organ replacements.
authors.affiliation: The Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar St., Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Zhan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Christina J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Newcomb
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bringas
authors.forename: Samuel I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Stupp
authors.forename: Malcolm L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Snead
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D006882:Hydroxyapatites / Q000737:chemistry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D017348:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Transmission; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
chemical_list: D006882:Hydroxyapatites; D009842:Oligopeptides; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; C046617:arginyl-glycyl-aspartyl-serine