From Shark Dental Lamina to Human Teeth: Germ Cells as an Alternative to Implant-Based Dentistry “Narrative Review” | ||||
| Sue Oral and Dental Medicine Journal | ||||
| Volume 1, Issue 2, June 2025, Page 64-70 PDF (300.94 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/suodmj.2025.384351.1011 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
Amira M. Shawat 
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| Faculty of Dental and Oral Medicine, Alsalam University, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Tooth loss, a pervasive global health challenge, affects billions, compromising quality of life and exacerbating socioeconomic disparities.¹ Conventional restorative modalities—dental implants and prostheses—are hindered by prohibitive costs, limited durability, and imperfect integration with host tissues, often necessitating invasive procedures.¹,² Drawing inspiration from the polyphyodont dentition of elasmobranchs, which regenerate teeth seamlessly via a stem cell-enriched dental lamina, this narrative review critically evaluates the potential of shark-derived molecular mechanisms to recalibrate human regenerative dentistry.³ Synthesizing contemporary scholarship, it elucidates conserved signaling pathways—Wnt/βcatenin, Hedgehog (Shh), and Sox2—that orchestrate shark odontogenesis and their homology with human dental stem cells, including rested lamina and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs).⁴,⁵ Cuttingedge bioengineering strategies, notably biomimetic scaffolds and 3D-printed enamel matrices, promise de novo tooth regeneration, surpassing implants by ensuring robust integration with bone and periodontium while mitigating complications like peri-implantitis.⁶ However, interspecies disparities, technical complexities, ethical dilemmas, and regulatory hurdles pose formidable barriers to clinical translation.⁷,⁸ This review positions shark germ cell models as a transformative paradigm, advocating for rigorous preclinical studies, interdisciplinary collaboration, and equitable access to address the global burden of oral health disparities. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| regenerative dentistry; bioengineering; Wnt/β-catenin; Shh signaling; Sox2 | ||||
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