School of Dental Medicine - University at Buffalo

Cho, Moon-Il Ph.D. Professor, Department of Oral Biology

Address:

B10 Foster Hall

Buffalo, NY 14214

(716)829-2605

mooncho@buffalo.edu

Faculty Profile

University of Michigan, M.S., Human Anatomy
State University of New York at Stony Brook, Ph.D., Oral Biology

Research Profile

The research effort of our laboratory has been focused on three areas. The first area is to understand the regulatory mechanisms by which periodontal ligament fibroblasts maintain their population as well as phenotype, and to determine how they differentiate into cementoblasts. We investigate the role of fibroblasts growth factor and epidermal growth factor receptors of periodontal ligament fibroblasts in these processes. The second area is related with development of an effective therapy capable of achieving periodontal regeneration. Currently, we are developing “a periodontal stem cell therapy” that has the ability to regenerate critical size defects. The third area is focused on understanding of the role of the transcriptional factor Nuclear Factor I-C (NFI-C) in odontoblasts. Nfic knockout mice demonstrate aberrant odontoblasts differentiation and abnormal dentin formation. Surprisingly, the abnormal odontoblasts resemble osteoblasts and form bone-like dentin, known as osteodentin. We are studying the possible functional relationship of NFI-C with odontoblast differentiation in collaboration with Dr. Gronostajski’s laboratory.

Also, in collaboration with Drs. Robert Genco and Rosemary Dziak, we examine the effects of fibroblast growth factor 2 on periodontal regeneration using the beagle dog Class III furcation defect model.

Representative Publications Search Publications in MEDLINE

Park JC, Park JT, Son HH, Kim HJ, Jeong MJ, Lee CS, Dey R, Cho MI. The amyloid protein APin is highly expressed during enamel mineralization and maturation in rat incisors. Eur J Oral Sci 115:153-160, 2007

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

Keum KY, Kwon OT, Spangberg LS, Kim CK, Kim J, Cho MI, Lee SJ. Effect of dexamethasone on root resorption after delayed replantation of rat tooth. J Endod.29:810-3. 2003

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 odontoblast-specific/enriched rat cDNA clones obtained by suppression subtractive hybridization. Archs. Oral Biol. 46:249-260, 2001.

Chien, H.-H., Lin, W.-L. and Cho, M.I. Down-regulation of osteoblastic cell differentiation by epidermal growth factor receptor. Calcif. Tiss. Int. 67:141-150, 2000.

Cho, M.-I. and Garant, P.R. Development and general structure of the periodontium. Periodontol. 2000 24:9-27, 2000.

Chien, H.H., Lin, W.L., and Cho, M.I. Down-regulation of osteoblastic cell differentiation by epidermal growth factor receptor. Calcif. Tiss. Int. 67:141-150, 2000.

Roth, J.A., Kim, B.K., Lin, W.L., and Cho, M.I. Melatonin promotes osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. J. Biol. Chem. 274:22041-22047, 1999.