Current understanding of orofacial tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells: an immunological perspective

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent non-hematopoietic progenitor cells able to differentiate into multiple lineages, holding the potential for replacing damaged and diseased tissues by tissue regeneration and immunodulatory functions. So far, MSCs have been successfully isolated and characterized from a variety of orofacial tissues, including dental pulp, periodontal ligament, root apical papilla, gingiva, etc. In addition to their self-renewal and multipotent differentiation properties, these orofacial tissue derived MSCs are also capable of profound immunomodulatory effects in vitro and in vivo, thus providing a foundation for their utilization in allogeneic application and in treating autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders. In this paper, we will review the current research progress of the immunomodulatory properties of orofacial tissue derived MSCs and the underlying mechanisms, emphasizing the effect of these MSCs on immune cells, which will facilitate the use of such cells in clinical treatment.