© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017 73
T. Tsuji (ed.), Organ Regeneration Based on Developmental Biology,
DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-3768-9_5
Chapter 5
Functional Tooth Regeneration
Masamitsu Oshima and Takashi Tsuji
Abstract Fundamental problems in the oral tissues caused by dental caries, periodon-
tal disease and trauma affect the oral and general health issues. Current regenerative
medicine has been developed by the accumulation of important findings in embryonic
development, stem-cell biology and tissue engineering technology. Tooth regenerative
therapy including both of tooth-tissue repair and whole-tooth replacement is expected
as a novel therapeutic concept to enable a fully functional recovery of oral and maxil-
lofacial region. Tooth tissue-derived stem cells and cell- activating cytokines are consid-
ered to be available approach for tooth-tissue regeneration based on the differentiation
potential into several tooth tissues in vitro and in vivo. Whole-tooth replacement
regenerative therapy is thought to be an attractive concept for next-generation regenera-
tive therapy as a model of bioengineered organ replacement. To realise the whole-tooth
regeneration, we have developed a novel three-dimensional cell-manipulation method
designated the ‘organ germ method’. This method involves compartmentalisation of
epithelial and mesenchymal stem cells at a high cell density to replicate the epithelial-
mesenchymal interactions in organogenesis. The bioengineered tooth germ generates a
structurally correct tooth in vitro and erupted successfully with correct tooth structure
when transplanted into the oral cavity. Bioengineered teeth were able to perform physi-
ological tooth functions such as mastication, response to mechanical stress and a per-
ceptive potential for noxious stimuli. In this chapter, we describe recent findings and
technological development underpinning tooth regenerative therapy.
Keywords Tooth regeneration • Organ replacement regenerative therapy •
Bioengineered tooth • Organ germ method • Epithelial-mesenchymal interaction •
Tissue engineering
M. Oshima
Department of Oral Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine,
Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8525, Japan
RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
e-mail: [email protected]
T. Tsuji (*)
Laboratory for Organ Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology,
2-2-3, Minatojima-mimamimschi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
e-mail: [email protected]