Unravelling the role of interleukin-6 in regulating dental stem cell behaviour: a scoping review

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) functions as a pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine. IL-6 plays a pivotal role in a multitude of biological processes. This scoping review aimed to explore the impact of IL-6 on the biological responses of dental tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

The literature databases (PubMed and Scopus) were searched utilising specific design keywords. The criteria for inclusion encompassed (1) original research investigations that examined the effect of IL-6 on dental stem cells through the introduction of exogenous IL-6, overexpression, or knockdown expression, and (2) publications authored in the English language. The articles that conformed to these criteria were subsequently compiled for comprehensive full-text analysis and data extraction.

The literature search identified 323 articles, including 99 and 224 pertinent publications from the PubMed and Scopus databases, respectively. After screening, 14 publications satisfied the inclusion criteria and were subsequently selected for data extraction. The findings demonstrated that IL-6 regulates stemness maintenance, cellular proliferation, and differentiation towards osteogenic, adipogenic, chondrogenic, and neurogenic lineages in dental tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

IL-6 modulates the biological activities of mesenchymal stem cells, particularly those derived from dental tissues. Nevertheless, the inconsistencies observed across various studies may be attributable to a range of factors, including the heterogeneity inherent in stem cell sources, the stages of differentiation, the conditions of culture, and the particularities of experimental design.