Temporomandibular
joint or more commonly referred to as TMJ is a condition that many
suffer from on a global scale. A recent study found out that
approximately 10 million people, women being a majority in the US are
victims to this disorder.
So what is the temporomandibular joint?
The joint that links your jaw to the temporal bones of your skull which
are located right in front of your ear is known as your
temporomandibular joint. It acts like an axis that allows movements to
your jaw that enables you to speak, chew, and yawn.
So, if you are
having trouble with your jaw and the controlling muscles in your face,
it is called temporomandibular disorders or TMD. The cause of this
disorder is not clearly known or defined. Probable symptoms of TMD,
which dentists believe could actually be a result of issues in the jaw
muscles or with the parts of the joint itself.
Acute ache and
soreness are often triggered by TMD that may affect both sides of your
face. This may subsequently lead to various other indications like
concentrated discomfort in the jaw, face and head; inconvenience in
gulping and talking; and faintness. The condition may be temporary or
possibly last for several years. It is a common occurrence between the
ages of 20 and 40.
Made of fibrocartilage, TMJ in a healthy state
helps the jaw to function smoothly by acting as a cushion. Nevertheless,
the cartilage is not equipped with the capability to repair or renew.
Hence, all the available treatment or surgery does is to disguise the
indicators but not actually remedy repair the essential impairment of
the joint.
Published in Nature Communications under "Exploiting
endogenous fibrocartilage stem cells to regenerate cartilage and repair
joint injury" a research team at Columbia University's College of Dental
Medicine (USA) carried out a cell culture studies as well as clinical
trials on animals that acknowledged that stem cells inside the TMJ
possessed the potential to develop cartilage and bone. Further
investigations by the research team presented that Wnt, a protein, with
its signalling activity led to the diminution of these fibrocartilage
stem cells (FSCSs) in animals. As a result of this, it instigated
significant weakening of the cartilage on introducing an accepted
inhibitor of Wnt into the animals' impaired TMJ stimulated development
and recuperation of the joint.
"This is very exciting for the
field because patients who have problems with their jaws and TMJs are
very limited in terms of clinical treatments available," said Mildred C.
Embree, DMD, PhD, assistant professor of dental medicine at Columbia
and lead author of the study. Dr. Embree's team, the TMJ Biology and
Regenerative Medicine Lab, conducted the research with colleagues
including Jeremy Mao, DDS, PhD, the Edwin S. Robinson Professor of
Dentistry (in orthopedic surgery) at Columbia.
The next step of
the investigation is to explore options of suitable Wnt inhibitors that
may be tried under clinical conditions. In a university press release,
Jeremy Mao, a co-author on the paper, talked about the implications of
these results. "They suggest that molecular signals that govern stem
cells may have therapeutic applications for cartilage and bone
regeneration. Cartilage and certain bone defects are notoriously
difficult to heal."
In the long run, Dr. Embree and her team say
the outcomes could spearhead eventual strategies for mending
fibrocartilage in other joints, including the knees and vertebral discs.
"Those types of cartilage have different cellular constituents, so we
would have to really investigate the molecular underpinnings regarding
how these cells are regulated," the researcher said.
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