Objective: To compare the growth and development of tissue engineered tooth germ implanted into different tissues, and explore a suitable growing environment for the tissue engineered teeth in vivo.
Methods: SD rat/porcine tooth germ cells from postnatal 4 days were used as seeding cells, which combined various scaffolding biomaterials to construct the compound with tissue engineered teeth. The allografts were implanted into renal subcapsule, the mesenteries and subcutaneous tissues. Then, the implants were retrieved at special time points for histological analysis.
Results: Further developments were not observed in the graft implanted into mesenteries and subcutaneous tissues. Partial grafts were fallen off and lost from the subcutaneous tissues after implanted, and there were obvious lymphocyte infiltrations in the mesenteries. Moreover, the enamel and pulp-dentin complex were observed within the graft implanted in the subrenal capsule, which indicated there to be good condition.
Conclusion: The subrenal capsule can provide a promising implantation environment for the further growth of allogeneic tissue engineered tooth germ, and the subrenal capsule implantation can be used as a new alternative method for tissue-engineering tooth in vivo.