title: Odontogenic epithelial stem cells: hidden sources.
abstract: The ultimate goal of dental stem cell research is to construct a bioengineered tooth. Tooth formation occurs based on the well-organized reciprocal interaction of epithelial and mesenchymal cells. The dental mesenchymal stem cells are the best explored, but because the human odontogenic epithelium is lost after the completion of enamel formation, studies on these cells are scarce. The successful creation of a bioengineered tooth is achievable only when the odontogenic epithelium is reconstructed to produce a replica of natural enamel. This article discusses the untapped sources of odontogenic epithelial stem cells in humans, such as those present in the active dental lamina in postnatal life, in remnants of dental lamina (the gubernaculum cord), in the epithelial cell rests of Malassez, and in reduced enamel epithelium. The possible uses of these stem cells in regenerative medicine, not just for enamel formation, are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Science, Ajman University of Science and Technology-Fujairah Campus, Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.|Department of Surgical Sciences, Ajman University of Science and Technology, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Sivan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Padma Priya
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, Jhong-li, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|Department of Botany and Microbiology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.|Department of Reproduction, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Akon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences, Ajman University of Science and Technology, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Salem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abu Fanas
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mok
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pooi Ling
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Slangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Vasantha
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumari Neela
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Sri Anjaneya Institute of Dental Science, Calicut, India.|Director of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Lab, Malabar Medical College, Calicut, India.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Sunil
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Tamil Nadu Government Dental College, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Saraswathi
authors.affiliation: Division of Entomology, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India.
authors.forename: Kadarkarai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murugan
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Microbiology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdullah A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alarfaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Microbiology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Murugan A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Munusamy
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Slangor, Malaysia.|Genetics and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Suresh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009805:Odontogenesis; D013234:Stem Cells