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Research Faculty Member Profile
    • Tom Diekwisch, DMD, PhD (sc), PhD (phil)
    • Professor and Head, Department of Oral Biology; Director, Brodie Laboratory for Craniofacial Genetics; Allan G. Brodie Endowed Chair for Orthodontic Research; Professor of Anatomy/Cell Biology, Bioengineering, Orthodontics, Periodontics
    • Research Interests:
    • CP27 Gene Function in Development. Dr. Diekwisch and his colleagues cloned the cp27 gene, mapped its gene expression and performed initial functional studies. Recently, they characterized CP27 as a chromatin-related factor involved in stem cell pluripotency, control of gastrulation and germ layer differentiation.
    • Enamel Formation and Evolution. Dr. Diekwisch and his colleagues are interested in determining the function of the central polyproline repeat region of the amelogenin molecule as it relates to enamel crystal formation. To test this hypothesis, they have generated mouse models expressing amphibian amelogenins.
    • Periodontal Development and Regeneration. Dr. Diekwisch and his colleagues have generated and characterized a number of unique stem cell lines from developing periodontal tissues. They are also interested in the role of epithelial cells in the periodontal ligament and the gene products that facilitate their function. Lastly, they have developed a focus area to understand the remodeling of periodontal tissues during tooth movement.
    • Recent Publications:
      • Dangaria, S., Ito, Y., Yin, L.L., Valdrè, G., Luan, X., and Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2010). Apatite microtopographies instruct signaling tapestries for progenitor-driven new attachment of teeth. Tissue Engineering A. Pub Med ID: 20795795.
      • Dangaria, S., Ito, Y., Luan, X., and Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2010). Differentiation of neural crest-derived intermediate pluripotent progenitors into committed periodontal populations involves unique molecular signature changes, cohort shifts, and epigenetic modifications. Stem Cells and Development. Pub Med ID: 20665818.
      • Ito, Y., Zhang, Y., Dangaria, S., Luan, X., and Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2011). NF-Y and USF1 transcription factor binding to CCAAT box and E-box elements activates the CP27 promoter. Gene in press.
      • Luan, X., Ito, Y., Zhang, Y., and Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2010). Characterization of the mouse CP27 promoter and NF-Y mediated gene regulation. Gene 460, 8-19.
      • Jin, T.*, Ito, Y.*, Luan, X., Dangaria, S., Walker, C., Allen, M., Kulkarni A., Gibson, C., Braatz, R., Liao, X., and Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2009). Supramolecular compaction through polyproline motif elongation as a mechanism for vertebrate enamel evolution. PLoS Biology 7(12): e1000262. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000262. Featured in Science: ScienceNOW/ScienceShots December 2009.
      • Diekwisch, T.G.H., Jin, T., Wang, X., Ito, Y., Schmidt, M.K., Druzinsky, R., Yamane, A., and Luan, X. (2009). Amelogenin evolution and tetrapod enamel structure. Frontiers of Oral Biology 13, 74-79.
      • Walker, C.G.*, Dangaria, S.*, Ito, Y., Luan, X., and Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2010). Osteopontin is Required for Unloading-Induced Osteoclast Recruitment and Modulation of RANKL Expression during Tooth Drift-associated Bone Remodeling, but Not for Super-Eruption. BONE 47, 1020-1029.
      • Luan, X., and Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2007). Vienna - Chicago: the cultural transformation of the model system of the un-opposed molar. Bioessays 29, 819-830.
      • Luan X, Diekwisch TG. 2007. Vienna-Chicago: the cultural transformation of the model system of the un-opposed molar. Bioessays 29(8):819-30
      • Luan X, Ito Y, Holliday S, Walker C, Daniel J, Galang TM, Fukui T, Yamane A, Begole E, Evans C, Diekwisch TG. 2007. Extracellular matrix-mediated tissue remodeling following axial movement of teeth. J Histochem Cytochem 55(2):127-40.
      • Luan X, Ito Y, Diekwisch TG. 2006. Evolution and development of Hertwig’s Epithelial Root Sheath. Developmental Dynamics 235: 1167-1180.
      • Luan X, Ito Y, Dangaria S, Diekwisch TG. 2006. Dental follicle progenitor cell heterogeneity in the developing mouse periodontium. Stem Cells Dev 15(4):595-608.
      • Diekwisch TG, Wang X, Fan JL, Ito Y, Luan X. 2006. Expression and characterization of a Rana pipiens amelogenin protein. Eur J Oral Sci 114: 86-92.