Prospects of neural crest‐derived cells from oral and dentofacial tissues for application in regenerative medicine

Abstract

During vertebrate development, neural crest cells arise in the dorsal region of the fusing neural tube, then migrate extensively across the embryonic body to differentiate into various cell types. In adults, subsets of neural crest‐derived cells (NCDCs) reside as stem cells and are considered useful as cell sources for autologous cell therapy. Previous studies have suggested that these NCDC subsets persist into adulthood in mammals, especially those within dentofacial compartments. We have found NCDCs in a wide variety of tissues, including palate, gingiva, and tongue, as well as hair follicles, submandibular glands, and buccal mucosa in adult mice. NCDCs from buccal mucosa can also form neurosphere‐like structures that have a capability to differentiate into osteoblasts. These findings indicate that NCDCs reside in various adult oral and dentofacial regions, and possess potential to differentiate into osteoblastic cells, thus suggesting that those in adults may be a useful source for bone regeneration strategies. In recent years, several researchers have reported regeneration experiments using NCDCs obtained from oral and dentofacial tissues. Here, we review findings related to the distribution of NCDCs, with focus on the oral and dentofacial regions, as well as the future prospects of NCDC‐based regenerative therapies.

Generation of a new mouse line with conditionally activated signaling through the BMP receptor, ACVR1: A tool to characterize pleiotropic roles of BMP functions

“…We next bred the line A11 mice with P0-Cre transgenic mice that expresses Cre in a neural crest-specific manner (Chen et al, 2017;Suzawa et al, 2020;Yamauchi et al, 1999). Unlike expected embryos that carry the ca-Acvr1 transgenic construct were negative for beta-galactosidase activity (Figure 1e, middle row).…”

The roles of type 1 and type 2 taste receptors in bone remodeling: A literature review

“…The tongue is a muscular organ that has a fundamental role in several body functions such as speaking, swallowing, chewing, and tasting. 1 Taste buds are one of the peripheral organs of gustation and are located mainly in the tongue epithelium and elsewhere in the oral cavity. Taste buds have several roles, including identifying nutritional content, potential toxicity, and taste through the chemical composition of food and beverage samples.…”

“…The tongue is a muscular organ that has a fundamental role in several body functions such as speaking, swallowing, chewing, and tasting 1 . Taste buds are one of the peripheral organs of gustation and are located mainly in the tongue epithelium and elsewhere in the oral cavity.…”