Current challenges in human tooth revitalization

Issue title: Selected papers from the 6th China–France International Symposium “Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine” and the first meeting of the France–China International CNRS Network (GDRI) CeSMeR, Nancy, 10–13 July 2016

Guest editors: J.-F. Stoltz, J. Magdalou and D. Bensoussan

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Ducret, Maxime^{a; b; c; *} | Fabre, Hugo^{a; d; *} | Celle, Alexis^a | Mallein-Gerin, Frédéric^a | Perrier-Groult, Emeline^a | Alliot-Licht, Brigitte^e | Farges, Jean-Christophe^{a; b; c; **}

Affiliations: [a] Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et Ingénierie thérapeutique, UMR5305 CNRS/Université Lyon 1, UMS3444 BioSciences Gerland-Lyon Sud, Lyon, France | [b] Faculté d’Odontologie, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France | [c] Hospices Civils de Lyon, Service de Consultations et Traitements Dentaires, Lyon, France | [d] Laboratory of Regenerative Technologies, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland | [e] Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR1064, INSERM, Faculté d’Odontologie, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France

Correspondence: [**] Corresponding author: Jean-Christophe Farges, Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et Ingénierie thérapeutique, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, 7 passage du Vercors, 69367 Lyon, France. Tel.: +33 4 72 72 26 19; Fax: +33 4 72 72 26 01; E-mail: jean-christophe.farges@univ-lyon1.fr.

Note: [*] Maxime Ducret and Hugo Fabre contributed equally to this work.

Abstract: Tooth vitality and health are related to the presence of a living connective tissue, the dental pulp (DP), in the center of the dental organ. The DP contains the tooth immune defence system that is activated against invading oral cariogenic bacteria during the caries process and the tissue repair/regeneration machinery involved following microorganisms’ eradication. However, penetration of oral bacteria into the DP often leads to complete tissue destruction and colonization of the endodontic space by microorganisms. Classical endodontic therapies consist of disinfecting then sealing the endodontic space with a gutta percha-based material. However, re-infections of the endodontic space by oral bacteria can occur, owing to the lack of tightness of the material. Recent findings suggest that regenerating a fully functional pulp tissue may be an ideal therapeutic solution to maintain a tooth defence system that will detect and help manage future injuries. The objective of this paper was to explain the different revascularization and regeneration strategies that have been proposed to reconstitute a living DP tissue and to discuss the main challenges that have to be resolved to improve these therapeutic strategies.

Keywords: Human tooth, dental pulp regeneration, revascularization, mesenchymal stem cells, cell-based medicinal products

DOI: 10.3233/BME-171637

Journal: Bio-Medical Materials and Engineering, vol. 28, no. s1, pp. S159-S168, 2017