Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory (TERML), Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Int J Oral Sci. 2011 Jul;3(3):107-16. doi: 10.4248/IJOS11042.
A tooth is a complex biological organ and consists of multiple tissues including the enamel, dentin, cementum and pulp. Tooth loss is the most common organ failure. Can a tooth be regenerated? Can adult stem cells be orchestrated to regenerate tooth structures such as the enamel, dentin, cementum and dental pulp, or even an entire tooth? If not, what are the therapeutically viable sources of stem cells for tooth regeneration? Do stem cells necessarily need to be taken out of the body, and manipulated ex vivo before they are transplanted for tooth regeneration? How can regenerated teeth be economically competitive with dental implants? Would it be possible to make regenerated teeth affordable by a large segment of the population worldwide? This review article explores existing and visionary approaches that address some of the above-mentioned questions. Tooth regeneration represents a revolution in stomatology as a shift in the paradigm from repair to regeneration: repair is by metal or artificial materials whereas regeneration is by biological restoration. Tooth regeneration is an extension of the concepts in the broad field of regenerative medicine to restore a tissue defect to its original form and function by biological substitutes.
牙齿是一种复杂的生物器官，由多种组织构成，包括釉质、牙本质、牙骨质和牙髓。牙齿缺失是最常见的器官衰竭。牙齿可以再生吗？能否通过调控成体干细胞来再生牙齿结构，如釉质、牙本质、牙骨质和牙髓，甚至整个牙齿？如果不能，那么用于牙齿再生的治疗可行的干细胞来源是什么？干细胞是否必须从体内取出，并在体外进行操作，然后再移植用于牙齿再生？再生牙如何在经济上与种植牙竞争？是否有可能使全球广大人群都能负担得起再生牙？本文综述了现有的和有远见的方法，以解决上述部分问题。牙齿再生代表了口腔医学的一场革命，从修复范式转变为再生范式：修复是用金属或人工材料，而再生是用生物修复。牙齿再生是广泛的再生医学领域概念的延伸，通过生物替代物将组织缺陷恢复到原始形态和功能。
