Stem cell heterogeneity – a prerequisite for successful (dental) regeneration

Sa？etak Advancements in regenerative dentistry could soon equip dentists with tools to regenerate dental pulp and other tissues. Developing effective regenerative therapies has proven to be a challenging task due to the complexity of tooth structure, functional and aesthetic requirements, safety and patient factors. However, recent studies looking at behaviour of adult mesenchymal stem cells in murine teeth in vivo offer new insights for development of translational approaches for tissue regeneration. Molecular heterogeneity within the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) niche has recently been studied in vivo using genetic lineage tracing and single-cell RNA sequencing. The role of an established, Thy1 (CD90)-marked sub-population is studied in homeostasis and following stimulation of increased growth of mouse incisors. Recent results suggest that this sub-population plays a specific role in rapid growth, during development as well as in stimulated increased growth and can be replenished by activation of dormant stem cells. These findings have implications for development of new, targeted regenerative therapies harnessing the potential of tissue-resident stem cells in a surgical intervention or non-surgical, molecular signal delivery approach