The basic problem we are attempting to solve is that of determining the molecular mechanisms involved in the ordered mineralization of dentin. The process of mineral deposition is not a random process, but it is a well ordered phenomenon, in which there are highly specific interactions between the macromolecular components of the matrix. Our studies have been directed to dentin and bone mineralization because of its uniformity and metabolic simplicity relative to bone. Our current working hypothesis proposed for mineralization is a multistep process. First the tissue forming cells i.e. the odontoblasts or osteoblasts secrete a structural matrix that defines the shape of the tissue and provides the space for the ordered, oriented nucleation of the mineral crystals.
The term noncollagenous proteins of dentin refer to the group of extracellular matrix components that can be extracted from the matrix during or following demineralization. The NCPs of the dentin matrix recently has been the focus of intense investigations because of their potential roles in the regulation of dentin mineralization.
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