The American Association of Endodontists (AAE) is seeking proposals for clinical research into regenerative endodontic treatment. Up to $2.5 million in funding could be available over six years, according to the organization.
Proposals must be submitted to the AAE office by January 1, 2011. The request for proposals (RFP) and proposal guidelines are now available on the AAE website.
The goal of the AAE Foundation, Research and Scientific Affairs Committee, and Regenerative Endodontics Committee is to fund research that answers the following clinical question: In patients with pulpal necrosis, does regenerative endodontic treatment, compared to alternative treatment, result in better outcomes?
The research should be expected to generate high-level evidence to support endodontic practice that incorporates regenerative procedures, and enhance and broaden the evidence for regenerative endodontic procedures.
"In the past several years there have been a number of case reports and case series that have presented clinical support for regenerative endodontics," said Alan Law, DDS, PhD, chair of the AAE Regenerative Endodontics Committee, in a press release. "The next step for advancing the area of regenerative endodontics is to have prospective randomized clinical trials. This RFP will support this essential research. We are fortunate to have a foundation that can fund such research."
Regenerative endodontics is defined as biologically based procedures designed to predictably replace damaged, diseased, or missing structures, including dentin and root structures, as well as cells of the pulp-dentin complex, with live viable tissues preferably of the same origin, that restore the normal physiologic functions of the pulp-dentin complex. Utilizing advancements in stem cell research, regenerative endodontics is an exciting new approach to managing immature teeth, particularly in children with dental trauma.
"Regenerative endodontics is an increasing focus of the AAE and its foundation, and the specialty is committed to developing this emerging technique and technology," said AAE Foundation President A. Eddy Skidmore, DDS, MS. In recent years, the foundation has contributed $500,000 to regenerative endodontic research, and this is the first effort to fund major clinical research in actual patients, he added.
The AAE also collects data on regenerative endodontics through a Regenerative Endodontics Database posted on the AAE website, where individuals can submit information related to revascularization cases. The data are used in endodontic research, to assist in establishing treatment best practices, and to clarify future research initiatives for these cutting-edge therapies, the AAE noted.
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