Oral Biology Laboratory

The working group consists of Prof. Werner Götz, two technical assistants and different PhD and DDS students. Besides cell and molecular methods, our main emphasis lies on histological and immunohistochemical applications. The research focus concentrates on the localization and identification of stem cells in oro-facial tissues and their neural crest determination, especially regarding odontogenesis and teeth in humans. Additionally, osteogenic differentiation of stem cells isolated from the apical follicle, which belongs to the developing tooth follicle, and their potential use for regenerative techniques, e.g. in combination with bone substitutes, is investigated mainly in vitro. Another focus lies on the surgical application of human adipose stem cells in combination with bone substitutes for bone augmentation, e.g. prior to oral implant placement, in clinical studies.