Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Dental Pulp Research with Improved Mouse Models
Published on: October 27, 2023
Orthodontic treatment mediates dental pulp microenvironment via IL17A
Wenjing Yu1, Yueling Zhang2, Chunmiao Jiang2
1State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Department of Orthodontics, West China Hospital and School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Objective:
Orthodontic treatment induces dental tissue remodeling; however, dental pulp stem cell (DPSC)-mediated pulp micro-environmental alteration is still largely uncharacterized. In the present study, we identified elevated interleukin-17A (IL17A) in the dental pulp, which induced the osteogenesis of DPSCs after orthodontic force loading.
Design:
Tooth movement animal models were established in Sprague-Dawley rats, and samples were harvested at 1, 4, 7, 14, and 21 days after orthodontic treatment loading. DPSC self-renewal and differentiation at different time points were examined, as well as the alteration of the microenvironment of dental pulp tissue by histological analysis and the systemic serum IL17A expression level by an ELISA assay. In vitro recombinant IL17A treatment was used to confirm the effect of IL17A on the enhancement of DPSC self-renewal and differentiation.
Results:
Orthodontic treatment altered the dental pulp microenvironment by activation of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL17A in vivo. Orthodontic loading significantly promoted the self-renewal and differentiation of DPSCs. Inflammation and elevated IL17A secretion occurred in the dental pulp during orthodontic tooth movement. Moreover, in vitro recombinant IL17A treatment mimicked the enhancement of the self-renewal and differentiation of DPSCs.
Conclusions:
Orthodontic treatment enhanced the differentiation and self-renewal of DPSCs, mediated by orthodontic-induced inflammation and subsequent elevation of IL17A level in the dental pulp microenvironment.
Related Concept Videos
T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin...
The Oral Microbiota

