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Updated: Jan 17, 2026
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Author Spotlight: Comparing Alveolar and Long Bone Remodeling to Explore OTM Model Potential
Published on: July 21, 2023
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Inhibition of ATG7 promotes orthodontic tooth movement by regulating the RANKL/OPG ratio under compression force
Zhenjin Yang1,2, Mingzhu Chen1,2, Xianmin Liao3
1Department of Orthodontics, Kunming Medical University Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Kunming, Yunnan, 650106, China.
Open Medicine (Warsaw, Poland)
|September 24, 2025
Summary
Autophagy gene ATG7 influences periodontium remodeling during orthodontic tooth movement. Inhibiting ATG7 accelerates tooth movement by increasing the RANKL/OPG ratio and suppressing autophagy.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cell Biology
- Periodontology
Background:
- Autophagy is a protective mechanism against mechanical stress during orthodontic tooth movement (OTM).
- The specific role of ATG7, a key autophagy gene, in periodontium remodeling during OTM is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of ATG7 in modulating periodontium remodeling under compression force during OTM.
- To explore the relationship between ATG7, autophagy, and the RANKL/OPG ratio in periodontium remodeling.
Main Methods:
- Utilized human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) in vitro and a rat OTM model in vivo.
- Employed ATG7 knockdown in hPDLSCs and used ATG7+/- rats to study the effects of compressive stress.
Main Results:
- Compression activated autophagy and increased the RANKL/OPG ratio.
- ATG7 knockdown suppressed autophagy and markedly elevated the RANKL/OPG ratio in hPDLSCs.
- ATG7+/- rats showed reduced autophagy, increased RANKL/OPG ratio, and accelerated tooth movement compared to wild-type rats.
Conclusions:
- Inhibition of ATG7 significantly increases the RANKL/OPG ratio in vivo and in vitro under compression.
- This increase in the RANKL/OPG ratio is associated with an accelerated rate of orthodontic tooth movement.
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