Advanced in Vitro Experimental Models for Tissue Engineering-based Reconstruction of a 3D Dentin/pulp Complex: a Literature Review

• Christina1 Hadjichristou
• About Imad
• Petros3 Koidis
• Athina4 Bakopoulou

Objective: Experimental procedures have been used to monitor cellular responses at the dentin/pulp interface. Aiming to divert from in vivo studies and oversimplified two-dimensional assays, three-dimensional (3D) models have been developed. This review provides an overview of existing literature, regarding 3D in vitro dentin/pulp reconstruction. Material & Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Web of Science-were systematically searched for attributes between 1998-2020. The search focused on articles on the development of three-dimensional tools for the reconstruction of a dentin/pulp complex under in vitro conditions, which were then screened and qualitatively assessed. Article grouping according to mode of implementation, resulted in five categories: the customised cell perfusion chamber (CPC) (n=8), the tooth bud model (TBM) (n=3), the 3D dentin/pulp complex manufactured by tissue engineering (DPC) (n=6), the entire tooth culture (ETC) (n=4) and the tooth slice culture model (TSC) (n=5). Results: A total of 26 publications, applying nine and eight substances for pulp and dentin representation respectively, were included. Natural materials and dentin components were the most widely utilized. The most diverse category was the DPC, while the CPC group was the test with the highest longevity. The most consistent categories were the ETC and TSC models, while the TBM presented as the most complete de novo approach.