Department of Periodontology and Regenerative Dentistry

　Our mission is the prevention and the treatment of periodontal diseases. The aims of our study are to identify the pathogenesis of periodontitis and to reveal the whole aspect of the onset and the progression of periodontitis. To develop innovative clinical strategies such as regenerative medicine, we endeavor to clarify the wound healing and the regeneration processes for destructed periodontal tissues at molecular levels.

Professor	Shinya MURAKAMI
Associate Professor	Masahiro KITAMURA
Associate Professor	Motozo YAMASHITA
Associate Professor	Masahide TAKEDACHI
Assistant Professor	Chiharu FUJIHARA
Assistant Professor	Yoichiro KASHIWAGI
Assistant Professor	Koji MIKI
Assistant Professor	Tomoaki IWAYAMA

　Past decades, we have been focusing on the development of regeneration therapy for lost periodontal tissues caused by the severe periodontitis. Establishment of novel periodontal tissue regenerative therapy using FGF-2 (basic fibroblast growth factor) is one of the major clinical achievements for us. In 2016, we produced the first regenerative medicine in Japan, REGROTH® which is recombinant human FGF-2 reagents designed for the lost periodontal tissues. This project is highly reputed as a leading-edge study in worldwide in the field of dentistry. Currently, we have been working to develop the mesenchymal stem cell transplantation therapy using adipose tissue-derived multi-lineage progenitor cells (ADMPCs). Clinical study of autologous ADMPCs transplantation has started at our department in 2015. Clinical data strongly suggests the ADMPCs transplantation therapy would be the promising medicine in the next periodontal treatment.
To shed light on the physiological role of periodontal ligament cells, we have conducted the analysis of various extracellular matrix proteins in periodontal ligament. A periodontal ligament specific molecule, which was named PLAP-1 (Periodontal Ligament Associated Protein-1), has been identified by our group. We have revealed that PLAP-1 regulates cytodifferentiation of periodontal ligament cells with gene-targeted animal models.