Tooth and its supporting tissues regeneration using functional tooth modules / 中华口腔医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Stem cell based generation of functional tissue modules is becoming a hotspot in the field of tissue regeneration. These functional tissue modules, which can be prepared through a variety of ways, including self-organization of stem cells, cell sheets, electrospinning and bio-printing, can serve as the basic unit and be assembled to form larger tissues and organs. This new technology can be a break-through to address current issues in tissue regeneration and further promote the translational use of regenerated tissues/organs. Construction of functional tooth modules is still in its early stage, where the stem cell source, preparing method and strategy of translational use are not clearly defined yet. How to construct the functional tissue module through the existing technology still needs further study. Here, we would like to share our current understanding and thoughts on constructing strategies and potential clinical application of functional tooth modules including dental pulp, periodontal tissue and tooth root, and hope it could shed new lights on the regeneration of tooth.