Moon I. Cho, Ph.D.

Professor, Oral Biology

State University of New York at Buffalo
mooncho@buffalo.edu

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that damages the periodontal tissues and thus is the main cause for the loss of teeth. Professor Cho's research has focused on development of an effective, reliable and reproducible stem cell therapy capable of achieving periodontal regeneration. The Cho lab proposes to isolate, expand in vitro and transplant autologous hair follicle bulge stem cells, as they have an origin from neural crest like periodontal tissue-forming cells and the ability to differentiate into fibroblasts. Further, they are abundant and easily accessible by a minimally invasive surgery. Cho anticipates this adult stem cell therapy will ensure immediate repopulation of fibroblasts and thus successful periodontal regeneration.

Select Publications

Park JC, Herr Y, Kim HJ, Gronostajski, RM, Cho MI. Nfic gene disruption inhibits differentiation of odontoblasts responsible for root formation and results in formation of short and abnormal roots in mice. J Periodont 78:1795-1802, 2007

Steele-Perkins G, Butz KG, Lyons GE, Zeichner-David M, Kim HJ, Cho MI, Gronostajski RM. Essential role for NFI-C/CTF transcription-replication factor in tooth root development. Mol Cell Biol. 23:1075-84, 2003.

Dey, R., Son, H.-H., and Cho, M.I. Isolation and partial sequencing of potentially odontoblastspecific/ enriched rat cDNA clones obtained by suppression subtractive hybridization. Archs. Oral Biol. 46:249-260, 2001.