Craniofacial Research

While most of our lab projects focus on fairly late events in craniofacial development, such as enamel and periodontal development, TMJ function and tooth movement, we also have a series of collaborative papers involving earlier aspects such as skull and muscle development.

Currently, we are using a number of mouse models to understand genetic and epigenetic factors involved in craniofacial development and disease.

Contributions to Journals

• Chen B., Pathak J.L., Lin, H., Guo, W., Chen W., Luo G., Wang, L., Sun, X., Ding, Y., Li, J., Diekwisch, T.G.H. and Liu. C. (2024). Inflammation triggers chondrocyte ferroptosis in TMJOA via HIF-1α/TFRC. J. Dent. Res. 103(7): 712-722.
• Xu, Q., and Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2024). Tissue Pressure and YAP During Organogenesis. Nat. Cell Biol. 26(4): 510-511.
• Gopinathan, G., Zhang, X., Luan, X., and Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2023). Changes in Hox Gene Chromatin Organization during Odontogenic Lineage Specification. Genes. 14(1): 198.
• Gopinathan, G., Foyle, D., Luan, X., and Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2019). The WNT antagonist SFRP1 – a key regulator of periodontal homeostasis. Stem Cells Dev. 28(15): 1004-1014.
• Wang, M., Li, S., Xie, W., Shen, J., Im, H.-J., Holz, J., Wang, M., Diekwisch, T.G.H., and Chen, D. (2014). Activation of beta-catenin signaling leads to temporo-mandibular joint defects. Eur. Cell. Mater. 28: 223-235.
• Goodwin A.F., Tidyman, W.E., Jheon, A.H., Sharir, A., Zheng, X., Charles, C., Fagin, J.A., McMahon, M., Diekwisch, T.G.H., Ganss, B., Rauen, K., and Klein O.D. (2014). Abnormal Ras signaling in Costello Syndrome (CS) negatively regulates enamel formation. Hum. Mol. Genet. 23(3): 682-692.
• Atsawasuwan, P., Lu, X., Ito, Y., Chen, Y., Evans, C.A., Kulkarni, A.B., Gibson, C.W.,Luan, X., and Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2013). Enamel-related gene products in calvarial development. J. Dent. Res. 92(7): 622-628.
• Fukui, T., Suga, T., Iida, R.-H., Morito, M., Luan, X., Diekwisch, T.G.H., Nakamura, Y., and Yamane, A. (2010). BMP-2 regulates the formation of oral sulcus in mouse tongue by altering the balance between TIMP-1 and MMP-13. Anat. Rec. (Hoboken) 293(8): 1408-1415.
• Suga, T., Fukui, T., Shinohara, A., Luan, X., Diekwisch, T.G.H., Morito, M., and Yamane, A. (2007). BMP2, BMP4, and their receptors are expressed in the differentiating muscle tissues of mouse embryonic tongue. Cell Tissue Res. 329(1): 103-117.
• Yamane, A., Akutso, S., Diekwisch, T.G.H., and Matsuda, R. (2005). Satellite cells and utrophin are not directly correlated with the degree of skeletal muscle damages in mdx mice. Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 289(1): C42-48
• Fukui, T., Akutsu, S., Hirashita, A., Oida, S., Diekwisch, T.G.H., and Yamane, A. (2004). Effects of exogenous bone morphogenetic protein 2 on the formation of mouse molar tooth germ. J. Oral Biosci. 46(6): 530-535.
• Yamane, A., Amano, O., Urushiyama, T., Nagata, J., Akutsu, S., Fukui, T., and Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2004). Exogenous hepatocyte growth factor inhibits myoblast differentiation by inducing myf5 expression and suppressing myoD expression in an organ culture system of embryonic mouse tongue. Eur. J. Oral Sci. 112(2): 1-5.
• Urushiyama, T., Akutsu, S., Miyazaki, J-I., Fukui, T., Diekwisch, T.G.H., and Yamane, A. (2004). Change from a hard to soft diet alters the expression of insulin-like growth factors, their receptors, and binding proteins in association with atrophy in adult mouse masseter muscle. Cell Tissue Res. 315(1): 97-105.
• Yamane, A., Urushiyama, T., and Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2002). Roles of insulin-like growth factors and their binding proteins in the differentiation of mouse tongue myoblasts. Int. J. Dev. Biol. 46(6): 807-816.
• Lu, M.F., Cheng, H.-T., Kern, M.J., Potter, S.S., Tran B., Diekwisch, T.G.H., and Martin, J.F. (1999). prx-1 functions cooperatively with another paired-related homeobox gene, prx-2, to maintain cell fates within the craniofacial mesenchyme. Development. 126(3): 495-504.
• Slavkin, H.C., Hu, C.C., Sakakura, J., Diekwisch, T., Chai, Y., Mayo. M., Bringas, P., Simmer, J., Mak, G., Sasano, Y., and David, S. (1992). Gene expression, signal transduction and tissue-specific biomineralization during mammalian tooth development. Crit. Rev. Eukaryot. Gene Expr. 2(4): 315-329.

Book Chapter

• Reed, D.A., Scapino, R.P., Ross, C.F., Chen, D., Diekwisch, T.G.H. (2013). Developmental and evolutionary perspectives on fibrous cartilage in TMJ tissue engineering.  In: Treatment of TMDs.  Bridging the gap between advances in research and clinical patient management (ed. Charles S. Greene and Daniel M. Laskin).  Quintessence, Chicago: p. 167-176.