An attempt of tooth regeneration via direct transdifferentiation of human adult skin or buccal mucosal cells

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K15722
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Dental engineering/Regenerative dentistry
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: IKEDA Masaaki 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 准教授 (20193211)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 再生歯 / 上皮細胞 / 間葉系幹細胞 / 分化転換 / 脂肪幹細胞 / 軟骨 / 軟骨内骨化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to regenerate human teeth, it is important to find a source of cells capable of forming tooth germ in adult tissue. The objective of this study is to transdifferentiate epithelial and mesenchymal cells that can be obtained from skin or oral mucosa into ameloblasts and odontoblasts, respectively. To obtain mesenchymal cells capable of differentiating into odontoblasts, we screened small chemical compounds / growth factors using human adipose-derived stem cells. We succeeded in obtaining stem-like cells that can form bone through endochondral ossification after transplantation into immunodeficient mice. We continue to do experiments to find conditions to obtain undifferentiated epithelial cells capable of differentiating into ameloblasts from human normal skin keratinocytes.

Free Research Field

分子細胞生物学