Single-cell transcriptional profiling of primary human dental follicle and derived organoids. Single-cell transcriptional profiling of primary human dental follicle and derived organoids

Knowledge on tooth epithelial stem cells and corresponding biology in humans is sparse. Here, we developed an organoid model, typically replicating epithelial tissue stem cell biology, starting from human tooth. Dental follicle (DF), isolated from extracted wisdom teeth, efficiently generated long-term expandable epithelial organoids. The organoids displayed a tooth stemness phenotype as present in DF’s Epithelial Cell Rests of Malassez, a compartment deemed to contain tooth epithelial stem cells. To further decode the organoids in more granular detail, we applied scRNA-seq analysis on DF-derived organoids (passage 1 (P1) and P4) together with their primary tissue. Additionally, to decipher the amelogenesis-resembling process that takes place in the tooth organoids upon differentiation, we performed scRNA-seq analysis of P4 organoids switched to mineralization-inducing medium for 8 days.