To create a tooth in the laboratory, a detailed recipe to instruct cells to differentiate toward proper lineages and form dental cells is needed. However, the study of stem cells requires their isolation and a lack of a specific marker has hindered studies so far.
Now researchers at the Institute of Biotechnology in Helsinki have found a marker for dental stem cells. They showed that the transcription factor Sox2 is specifically expressed in stem cells of the mouse incisor (Developmental Cell, July 19, 2012).
The researchers developed a method to record the division, movement, and specification of these cells. By tracing the descendants of genetically labeled cells, they also showed that Sox2-positive stem cells give rise to enamel-forming ameloblasts, as well as other cell lineages of the tooth.
"The discovery of Sox2 as a marker for dental stem cells is an important step toward developing a complete bioengineered tooth," said Emma Juuri, DDS, MSc, study co-author, in a press release. "In the future, it may be possible to grow new teeth from stem cells to replace lost ones."
