4). Unlike tumor growth, the major modulator of this process has been shown to be the CCN2 molecule, which is thus now regarded as a potential target of anti-osteoclastogenic and angiogenic therapy [45] and [107]. In fact, recent studies have shown that CCN2 stimulated

TRAP-positive osteoclast-like cell formation in bone marrow cell culture [33]. Therefore, an anti-CCN2 strategy may provide a safer choice without adverse effects than those with other osteoclast targeted agents. CCN2 may be able to apply for molecular target therapy of bone metabolic and resorptive disease such as osteoporosis and periodontitis. The authors thank Drs. Masaharu Takigawa and Satoshi Kubota R428 in vivo at the Okayama University for consultations. We also thank Eiki Koyama, Masahiro Iwamoto, and Maurizio Pacifici click here at the Thomas Jefferson University College of Medicine for collaboration. This work was supported in part by grants from the Uehara Memorial Foundation (T.S.), the Okayama Health Foundation (T.S.), the Ryobi-teien Memorial Foundation (T.S.), the Okayama Medical Foundation (T.S.), WESCO Scientific Promotion Foundation (to T.S.), and the programs Grants-in-Aid for Young Scientists [A] (T.S.), and Scientific

Research [B] (A.S.) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. “
“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times This famous opening line of “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles before Dickens, has many different meaning for different people and cultures. When reading this quotation from the perspective of the challenges of dental practice and dental education, there are “best of times” and “worst of times” in Japan and the United States that share common characteristics as well as some striking differences. In this review, these similarities and differences in dental educational challenges

between Japan and the United States, will be presented. This paper will present these challenges both from a general overview from these two countries, and from the perspective of the institutions of the two authors of this paper, the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry (UCSF) and Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU). These challenges include attracting the best students into dental schools; maintaining high academic standards through the continuous training and development of new faculty; and improving dental curriculum, teaching methods, and assessing outcomes, in order to meet present and future public health care needs, and to incorporate new scientific developments into dental practice. In the United States, the practice of dentistry in the private sector is considered one of the most financially rewarding professions even in this current economic downturn. This is evident in the increasing number and quality of applicants who apply to dental schools in the past decade.