Presentation

Welcome on the website of the Laboratory “Orofacial Pathologies, Imaging and Biotherapies ” URP2496 located at the Dental school of Université Paris Cité.
The central theme of the laboratory is the study of orofacial tissues and their reconstruction

The orofacial area is a unique crosswalk in the human organism. Most of of its structures (bone, dental mesenchyme…) are derived from the neural crests. This specific embryologic origin confers original anatomic properties to the orofacial skeleton, which differs from the appendicular skeleton. These properties remain to be explored and further exploited for tissue engineering. Our research is based on the understanding of the mechanisms associated with the development, the resorption (under normal and pathological conditions), and the regeneration of the orofacial area. We study the oral mesenchymal stem cells and their specific properties as well as their associated extracellular matrix (ECM). Our objective is to reconstruct a vascularised and innervated functional tissue (dental pulp, Biotooth, periodontal bone, craniofacial bone). In this context, we have developed in vitro culture of dental pulp stem cells derived from human and murine teeth (isolation, sorting, and characterization; in vitro and in vivo differentiation, cell line development). We also investigate the biological properties of molecules derived from the extracellular matrix (ECM) such as dentin/bone noncollagenous proteins. Interestingly, tooth dentin and cement, unlike bone, are not remodelled as they are not involved in the calcium and phosphorus systemic metabolism. Thus, they constitute useful tissues to study the pathological processes related to impaired local biomineralization, which can occur during several genetic disorders affecting bone, kidney as well as teeth (enamel, dentin or cement). In parallel, as the mouth is highly sceptic, we study the inflammatory mechanisms associated to the pathophysiological remodelling of periodontal tissues and try to identify specific mechanisms associated to periodontitis versus those associated to peri-implantitis. To conduct these projects, our lab has progressively developed a robust expertise to study calcified tissues and has recently obtained a High resolution Micro-CT for small animals which is included in the Living animal imaging facility of University Paris Cité.

The laboratory welcomes undergraduate dental students who chose a research program (program headed by Prof S Opsahl Vital) and is part of the Master’s program of « Sciences de la vie et de la santé », mention BMPI «Biologie cellulaire, Physiologie, Pathologie», spécialité «Biologie ostéo-articulaire et cranio-faciale. Biomatériaux et Biomorphologie» (led by Prof A Berdal, Prof C Chaussain is responsible for Paris Cité). This Master’s program is shared by University Sorbonne Paris Cité. Our laboratory is linked to “Ecole Doctorale Bio Sorbonne Paris Cité. In addition, the recent recruitment of a lab member who is head of a European accredited post-graduate program (European Federation of periodontology) including research program as a requirement has lead our team to an European teaching program.