Mesenchymal dental stem cells in regenerative dentistry

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Dental Tissue Engineering
• Stem Cell Biology

Background:

• Tissue engineering has rapidly expanded within regenerative medicine and dentistry.
• Mesenchymal dental stem cells are readily accessible and possess immunosuppressive, proliferative, and differentiation capabilities.
• Understanding tooth development, growth factors, and signaling molecules is essential for regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review tooth development and anatomy.
• To define and classify stem cells, focusing on mesenchymal stem cells for dental applications.
• To provide an overview of mesenchymal stem cells from dental sources, growth factors, and scaffolds for dental tissue regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of tooth development and anatomy.
• Classification and description of various mesenchymal stem cell types from dental tissues.
• Overview of growth factors and scaffold materials used in dental tissue engineering.

Main Results:

• Mesenchymal dental stem cells, including dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs), periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), dental follicle progenitor stem cells (DFPCs), and stem cells from apical papilla (SCAPs), show significant therapeutic potential.
• These cells exhibit trransdifferentiation ability, face fewer ethical concerns, and have shown acceptable preliminary clinical trial results.
• The review details key growth factors and scaffold types vital for successful dental tissue regeneration.

Conclusions:

• Mesenchymal dental stem cells represent a promising cell source for dental regenerative medicine.
• Advancements in understanding growth factors and developing suitable scaffolds are critical for clinical translation.
• This review synthesizes current knowledge on dental stem cells and tissue engineering strategies for tooth regeneration.