{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T05:09:42Z","timestamp":1784264982442,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,4]],"date-time":"2025-03-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1741046400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Dentistry Journal"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Nestin is an intermediate filament protein and a marker of odontoblasts, but its function in tooth and bone formation is largely unknown. This study aimed to determine whether Nestin plays a role in postnatal tooth formation. Methods: 4-week-old Nestin knockout (KO) mice were analyzed with a range of techniques, including X-ray imaging, uCT, backscattered and acid-etched casted SEM, FITC-confocal microscopy, H&amp;E and TRAP staining, and immunohistochemistry. Results: The KO mice had no apparent difference in crown formation compared to age-matched wild-type (WT) but showed delayed molar eruption with reduced TRAP+ osteoclasts. More importantly, KO mice developed expanded predentin and shorter, thinner roots with irregular and shortened dentin tubules. Additionally, the Nestin KO mice exhibited a reduced cellular cementum mass with sharp reductions in DMP1, OPN, and BSP. Conclusions: These findings suggest that Nestin plays a critical role in the postnatal development of root dentin and cellular cementum.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/dj13030113","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,4]],"date-time":"2025-03-04T05:41:51Z","timestamp":1741066911000},"page":"113","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Novel Roles of Nestin in Postnatal Root Formation"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6388-0517","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yan","family":"Jing","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthodontics, Texas A&M College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX 75246, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jinqiu","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthodontics, Texas A&M College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX 75246, USA"},{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX 75246, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ying","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthodontics, Texas A&M College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX 75246, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaohua","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX 75246, USA"},{"name":"Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1147-3917","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chi","family":"Ma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scottish Rite for Children, Center of Excellence in Hip, Dallas, TX 75219, USA"},{"name":"Department of Orthopedic Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"939","DOI":"10.1152\/physrev.00030.2016","article-title":"Dental Enamel Formation and Implications for Oral Health and Disease","volume":"97","author":"Lacruz","year":"2017","journal-title":"Physiol. 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