TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE TAKAHASHI TSUJI'S LABORATORY

Analysis of various conditions for the reconstitution of a bioengineered tooth germ

The explants that reconstituted the cell compartmentalization between epithelial and mesenchymal cells at a low-cell density (0.5-1 x 108 cells/ml), or that did not form cell compartmentalization at high-cell density (5 x 108 cells/ml), could not also generate a correct tooth structure. To reconstitute a bioengineered tooth germ with the correct cell compartmentalization between epithelial and mesenchymal-derived single cells, these cells were injected in turn at high-cell density (5 x 108 cells/ml) into a collagen gel drop. Within 2 days of organ culture, a tooth germ was observed to form with the appropriate compartmentalization between epithelial and mesenchymal cells and cell-to-cell compaction. After 14 days transplantation into a subrenal capsule, we found this germ could generate plural teeth in alveolar bone.