BMP (Bone morphogenetic protein) signaling network regulates mesenchymal stem cell lineage commitment during tooth development

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent progenitor cells present in various mesenchymal tissues that undergo strict lineage-specific differentiation programs, faithful to their unique tissue origins. However, the key regulators that activate dental pulp MSC commitment to odontogenesis remain unclear. In this study, we utilized an inducible Cre/loxP system to interrupt BMP signaling in apical MSCs at the onset of molar root formation in order to investigate the functional requirement for BMP signaling and its downstream targets in MSC cell fate determination during tooth morphogenesis. Overall design: mRNA profiling of MSC to study role of BMP signaling in tooth morphogenesis

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Feng J, Jing J, Li J, Zhao H, Punj V, Zhang T, Xu J, Chai Y