In vitro tooth-shaped scaffold construction by mimicking late bell stage

Abstract

Neogenesis of osseous and ligamentous interfacial structures is essential for the regeneration of large oral or craniofacialdefects. However, current treatment strategies are inadequate in renewing supporting tissues of teeth after trauma, chronic infectionsor surgical resection. Combined use of 3D scaffolds with stem cells became a promising treatment option for these injuries. Matchingdifferent scaffolding materials with different tissues can induce the correct cytokines and the differentiation of cells corresponding tothat particular tissue. In this study, a hydroxyapatite (HA) based scaffold was used together with human adipose stem cells (hASCs),human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs) and gingival epithelial cells to mimic human tooth dentin-pulp-enamel tissue complexes andmodel an immature tooth at the late bell stage in vitro. Characteristics of the scaffold were determined via SEM, FTIR, pore size anddensity measurements. Changes in gene expression, protein secretions and tissue histology resulting from cross-interactions of differentdental tissues grown in the system were shown. Classical tooth tissues such as cementum, pulp and bone like tissues were formedwithin the scaffold. Our study suggests that a HA-based scaffold with different cell lineages can successfully mimic early stages of toothdevelopment and can be a valuable tool for hard tissue engineering.