Stem Cell Approaches to Dental Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Dentistry
1Instituto de Pesquisas São Leopoldo Mandic, Campinas, Brazil
2University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, USA
3Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
Stem Cell Approaches to Dental Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Dentistry
Description
Regenerative dentistry is one branch of regenerative medicine aimed at replacing damaged oral tissues (e.g., enamel, dentin, pulp, cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone). There is therefore a strong relation between regenerative dentistry and tissue engineering, which requires a combination of cells, signaling molecules, and scaffolds to improve or replace damaged or missing biological tissues. The use of stem cells is an important tool within this field due to their versatility. As many oral diseases (e.g., caries, periodontitis, and cancer) result in tissue damage and as some oral tissues are not easily regenerated (e.g., enamel, dentin, and cementum), the regenerative dentistry field can be considered a huge challenge for researchers and clinicians.
This special issue aims to attract original manuscripts within the tissue engineering field, specifically concerning the regeneration of tissues related to dentistry (i.e., enamel, dentin, cementum, alveolar bone, pulp, and gingiva). Submissions concerning the use of stem cells, growth factors, specific scaffolds, and a combination thereof are especially welcome, including review articles which describe the current state of the art of this subject. Submissions regarding stem cell isolation from dental tissues are also encouraged.
Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:
- Use of mesenchymal stem cells derived from pulp for regeneration
- Use of mesenchymal stem cells derived from periodontal ligaments for regeneration
- Use of mesenchymal stem cells derived from periosteum for regeneration
- Regeneration of pulp tissue using stem cells, either associated or not with growth factors
- Regeneration of periodontal tissue using stem cells, either associated or not with growth factors
- Regeneration of bone using stem cells, either associated or not with growth factors
- Regeneration of gingival tissue using stem cells, either associated or not with growth factors
- Platelet rich fibrin as a scaffold for stem cells for regeneration purposes
- Use of different types of scaffolds for stem cell delivery in regenerative dentistry
- Bioengineered teeth using stem cells and scaffolds