| dc.description.abstracteng | Root cementum represents one of the crucial prerequisites for an intact fixation in the tooth's osseous socket, the alveole. Healthy cementum and its self-repair mechanisms are furthermore vital to a sound parodontium and thus for the entire dental health. Central to the thesis at hand was the collection of human cementoblasts from extracted teeth. These had to be cultivated, immortalized and characterized. The ensuing examination covered an analysis of proteins that are presumed typical for cement and bone. Such proteins include collagen type I and III, osteocalcin, osteopontin, bone sialoprotein and osteonectin. Other findings include both transcription factors RUNX2 and SOX9, both of which are not extensively researched in context with cementum yet. This holds true in particular for SOX9. Even though typical for the chondrogenic cell line, this transcription factor and its interrelation with cementum is not covered in relevant literature. In contrast to this, the literary research has revealed cementum protein 1, also known as CP-23, as a typical and specific marker for cementum. An immunofluorescent-based assay helped visualizing said marker on the mRNA-level. Additional findings on the mRNA-level verified that the proteoglycans decor and version are constituents of cementoblasts. An additional analytic step subjected human cementoblasts to an osteogenic differentiation in order to detect an expression of CP-23, osteocalcin, sclerostin, RANKL and ALP. However, differentiated cells only signaled CP-23 and osteocalcin. Yet, it remains to question whether the osteogenic differentiation provided valid results. This is the reason why consecutive research should elaborate on the findings of the osteogenic differentiation. According to its objective, this research project verified the existence of proteins, that are typical to bones and osteoblasts, in cementoblasts. Still these findings do not indicate any similarities between cementoblasts and osteoblasts. Uncovering these, and presumed dissimilarities, remains an issue for future research in dentistry. | de |