Atlas is the first step in getting your tooth restored on its own. “We wanted to find out how the processes of tooth formation work. Human teeth are not suitable for such research, because they stop the growth and thus the renewal of the tooth. We therefore used mouse teeth. They are constantly growing and it is possible to observe the transformation of cells into tissue on them, “Jan Křivánek, co-creator of the atlas, told Práva.
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The researchers first obtained all the cells from a mouse incisor. They assigned parameters to each and created a scheme to better distinguish the cells. “We found out which cells are stem cells, ie the basic ones, because they can give rise to all cell types of a tooth. We also described other types of cells, including those that are fully specialized for a certain activity, “Křivánek explained.
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Jan Křivánek, one of the co-creators of the atlas
Photo: MU Brno
They focused in more detail on the so-called odontoblasts and ameloblasts, ie the cells from which dentin or dentin and enamel, which form the largest part of the teeth. They read all the genetic information in these cells. They gained an overview of several thousand genes and their activity, which leads to the transformation of stem cells into other cell types and the creation of the tooth itself.
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Finally, the researchers described dozens of mouse incisor cell types and created a diagram showing their interrelationships and the processes in each. They collected basic data for further research. In it, researchers can try to find out how to activate or attenuate specific genes in a tooth cell to help restore the tooth.
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The team also focused on human teeth. He read the genetic information of cells obtained from the stools of an adult and a young man that were still growing. “Especially with stem cells, we found a lot of similar things between human teeth and mouse teeth. In this way, we examined the tooth with caries to find out which cells are involved in the repair of the tooth, “said Křivánek about further research.
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Further research will focus on odontoblastomas responsible for the formation of dentin, which fills most of the tooth. In the future, it is these cells that could be used, for example, to heal tooth decay with the help of cells so that the tooth regenerates itself.
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