Establishing dental epithelial cell lines for in vitro tooth enamel bioengineering

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24689073
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Surgical dentistry
• Research Institution: The Nippon Dental University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAHARA TAKA 日本歯科大学, 生命歯学部, 教授 (10366768)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞・組織 / 細胞培養 / 器官培養 / 分化誘導 / エナメル形成 / 移植・再生医療 / 再生医学 / 歯学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bioengineering of tooth enamel is an important goal in regenerative dentistry. We aimed to establish ameloblastic cell lines using primary culture of dental tissues or pluripotent stem cells such as embryonic stem (ES) cells. Here, we describe “cell fishing”, a novel, filter paper-based, cell-manipulation technique to isolate cells from a heterogeneous cell culture population. Based on their morphologically distinct appearance, epithelial cells were selectively isolated from rat periodontal ligament-derived and porcine enamel epithelium-derived tissue cultures. Dental epithelial cell lines were established from these cultured cells. Attempts are ongoing to establish an epithelial cell line derived from ES cells via the formation of embryoid body and its prolonged cultivation . These dental cell lines could serve as competent cell sources to bioengineer tooth enamel in vitro.

Free Research Field

発生・再生医科学