Odontogenic epithelial stem cells: hidden sources

Padma Priya S 1 , Higuchi A 2 , Abu Fanas S 3 , Pooi Ling M 4 , Kumari Neela V 5 , Sunil PM 6 Show all authors , Saraswathi TR 7 , Murugan K 8 , Alarfaj AA 9 , Munusamy MA 9 , Kumar S 5

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Basic Medical Science, Ajman University of Science and Technology-Fujairah Campus, Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates
  • 2 Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, Jhong-li, Taoyuan, Taiwan
  • 3 Department of Surgical Sciences, Ajman University of Science and Technology, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
  • 4 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 5 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Slangor, Malaysia
  • 6 Department of Oral Pathology, Sri Anjaneya Institute of Dental Science, Calicut, India
  • 7 Department of Oral Pathology, Tamil Nadu Government Dental College, Chennai, India
  • 8 Division of Entomology, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
  • 9 Department of Botany and Microbiology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Lab Invest, 2015 Dec;95(12):1344-52.
PMID: 26367485 DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.2015.108

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.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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