Anne George
Allan G. Brodie Endowed Professor of Oral Biology
Biography
Anne George (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/University of Illinois Chicago)
Anne George’s research could one day lead to a new way of filling oral caries.
George is studying how proteins can regenerate dentin, a calcified tissue of the body that, along with enamel, cementum and pulp, is one of the four major components of teeth. She has been instrumental in cloning the dentin matrix protein genes from the mineralized dentin matrix of animal models.
Dentists today traditionally use amalgam or other artificial compounds. Instead, George said, dentists can fill the cavity with the dentin matrix protein 1, which will bind calcium. After covering the site with polymer resin, new tissue would grow within a few weeks, allowing the dentin to regenerate.
The dentin matrix protein 1 gene cannot only regenerate dentin, but it can also be used as a signaling molecule that can convert stem cells into osteoblasts and help to repair bone fractures at a faster rate.
George is also interested in the science of biomimetics and tissue engineering.
SparkTalks: Anne George (video)
