ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Nanobiotechnology
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1659704
This article is part of the Research TopicDrug Delivery Systems for Mineralized Tissue RegenerationView all 5 articles
Morphological Observations on the Role of HERS Cells in Cementum Development of Rabbit Molars
Provisionally accepted
- Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
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Objective: To investigate the relationship between cementum development and epithelial stem cells in rabbit molars, as well as the associated morphological characteristics. Methods: A total of 25 New Zealand white rabbits were selected and divided into five age groups (14 days, 21 days, 28 days, 50 days, and 8 months). The developmental process of cementum was examined using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and histological methods. Results: Cementum in rabbit molars was classified into three types: acellular extrinsic fiber cementum (AEFC), cellular intrinsic fiber cementum (CIFC), and cellular mixed stratified cementum (CMSC). With increasing age, both the bone volume fraction (BV/TV) and bone mineral density of the cementum significantly increased (P < 0.05). Following apoptosis of epithelial cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiated into cementoblasts; however, the role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was found to be limited. The formation of functional cementum primarily depended on the insertion of periodontal ligament (PDL) fibers. Conclusion: The cementum of rabbit molars surrounds the enamel. With increasing age, both the volume and density of the cementum continue to increase, and its functions differ significantly based on its classification. EMT is not the principal mechanism involved.
Keywords: cementum, Epithelial stem cells, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Periodontal Ligament, Rabbit molars
Received: 04 Jul 2025; Accepted: 04 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhan, Xing, Meng, Cheng, Wang, Wang and Sun. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiaolin Sun, Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
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