Enamel matrix derivative (EMD) is used in periodontal tissue regeneration therapy. However, patients may avoid EMD because it is animal­derived and may include pathogenic or­ ganisms. We evaluated a synthetic oligopeptide (SP) derived from EMD that we produced in previous basic research of EMD to determine whether it contributes to wound healing in peri­ odontal tissue. We also investigated the efficacy of SP derived from EMD on human gingival fi­ broblasts (HGF). The HGF were treated with SP at 0, 1, 10, 100 and 1000 ng/mL. We examined the effects of SP on cell proliferation and the capacity for cell attachment in HGF. We also in­ vestigated the role of extracellular signal­related kinase (ERK) 1/2 induced by SP. Our results suggested that SP significantly promotes cell proliferation and cell attachment in HGFs. More­ over, SP also induced ERK 1/2 activation in HGF. The results also suggested that SP promotes cell proliferation and the activity of cell attachment in HGF. Therefore, SP might contribute to the promotion of wound healing in periodontal tissue. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2017 ;Mar ;80(1) : 1­7.

We investigated 364 patients diagnosed histologically as having malignant tumors at the First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Osaka Dental University Hospital, be­ tween January 2005 and December 2014. There ware 321 primary cases, 24 recurrent and me­ tastatic cases and 19 multiple oral cancers. Among the primary tumor patients there were 185 males and 136 females for a male to female ratio of 1.4 : 1. The average age was 65 years. His­ tologically, there were 265 cases (82.6%) of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 14 (4.4%) of ver­ rucous carcinoma, and 9 (2.8%) of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The tongue (40.8%) was the most common site of SCC, followed by the gingiva (37.7%), buccal mucosa (9.1%), and oral floor (8.7%). The peak age was the sixth decade for SCC, while the tongue was the most com­ mon site for those under 60 years of age. The gingiva was the most common site for those 60 years of age. According to the clinical stage, 32 cases were in stage 0, 52 in stageⅠ, 85 in stage Ⅱ,34instageⅢand 56 in stage Ⅳ. There were 10 cases of multiple carcinoma compli­ cated with SCC variants. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2017 ;Mar ;80(1) : 8­14.