**STATEMENT OF WORK**

1\. **[Objectives]{.underline}**

> The contractor will provide the Chief and Senior Investigators in the
> Craniofacial Skeletal Diseases Branch with professional laboratory
> services. The contractors work will focus on the interactions of
> dental pulp cells with neuronal tissue in order to determine in the
> neuronal environment will induce differentiation of pulp cells into
> neuronal cells.

2\. **[Approach]{.underline}**

> The contractor will familiarize herself with the studies. She will be
> part of and contribute to a multidisciplinary team of scientist. By
> using a brain slice culture system, developed by Dr. Eva Mezey in the
> Branch, a neuronal microenvironment can be better approximated than by
> standard assays. It has been speculated that stem cells contained
> within dental pulp may be able to form nerve-like tissue due to its
> neuroectodermal origin. Using the brain slice assay, we hope to
> determine whether or not dental pulp cells can in fact form neuronal
> cells, first by morphological criteria, and at a later point, by
> functional assays.

3\. **[Methods]{.underline}**

The services that will be performed are as follows:

> 1\. The contractor will isolate dental pulp cells isolated from
> deciduous teeth and third molars
>
> 2\. Subsequently, the contractor will be transfected to produce GFP
> using a lenti-viral vector.

3\. The contractor will add the GFP-labeled cells to a brain slice
culture.

4\. The response of the cells will be monitored by time lapse
photography.

4\. **[Personnel, evaluation and schedule]{.underline}**

**[A. Personnel]{.underline}**

> The contractor is a dental student at Harvard University School of
> Dental Medicine with laboratory experience required to perform the
> laboratory services. Personnel provided under the contract will comply
> with the rules and policies of the NIDCR and its staff.

B. **[Evaluation]{.underline}**

> The contractor will be evaluated daily and if the contractor is
> considered to be substandard in the judgment of the Branch Chief or
> Senior Investigator, the contractor will receive notice of the problem
> from the Branch Chief and or Senior Investigator and will be required
> to take corrective measures and to demonstrate improved performance.

C. **[Schedule]{.underline}**

> The contractor will perform studies for a minimum of 40 hours per
> week, Monday through Friday.

5\. **[Reporting Requirements]{.underline}**

> The contractor shall provide professional services for the
> Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch, NIDCR during the period of
> June 19 through August 11, 2006. The CSDB in consideration of such
> requirements will pay \$2000.00 to the contactor.

**Justification**

Attached is a purchase request for \$ 4,000 to provide a fee for the
services of Ms. Maiko Sakai. Under this contract, Ms. Sakai will provide
services to the Skeletal Biology Section, CSDB, NIDCR. Her contract will
run from June 19, 2006 through August 12, 2006.

As a dental student with laboratory experience, Ms. Sakai will begin to
explore possibilities, which could have a major impact on the treatment
of neuronal deficiency disorders, such as Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's disease, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons,
is estimated to affect 1% of the population over the age of 50, 15% of
the population between the ages of 65 and 74, and 52% of the population
over the age of 85 (NEJM 1996:334-71). Based on the fact that this
disease is caused by the loss of a particular cell type, it has been
speculated that it may be treatable by the reintroduction of adult stem
cells with the ability to form neurons. Dental pulp, which contains a
population of stem cells, is an easily accessible tissue, either from
deciduous teeth, or from molars removed for orthodontic reasons. Dental
pulp may provide a source of stem cells with the ability to form
neuronal cells; however, much work is needed to determine the veracity
and efficiency of such a process.

The appointment of Ms. Maiko Sakai is of critical importance to the
initiation of this specific project in the Skeletal Biology Section.