.jpg "Avina Paranjpe, B.D.S., M.S.D., M.S., Ph.D. photo")
Avina Paranjpe, B.D.S., M.S.D., M.S., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Washington
Nothing to disclose
JT Crepps, D.D.S.
Endodontic Resident
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
Nothing to disclose
Stem Cells of the Apical Papilla (SCAP) are important stem cells that modulate root development and are associated with human immature teeth. They have been shown to be important in dentistry and medicine for various regenerative procedures. However, our previous data has demonstrated that these stem cells do not possess good differentiation properties compared to some other dental stem cells, which could possibly contribute to the failures of many Regenerative Endodontic procedures (REPs). This is important to understand as the success of REPs depends on SCAP survival and ability to differentiation among other factors. Hence, it is imperative to identify compounds that can help SCAP differentiate thereby helping our regenerative procedures. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is an effective anti-oxidant and differentiation agent. SCAP in combination with NAC has shown promising results helping these cells to survive and differentiate. This differentiation could possibly increase the success rates of REPs.