Stem-cell regulation in periodontium formation and regeneration

The periodontium is a dynamic composite tissue that anchors teeth to the alveolar bone and adapts continuously to mechanical loading and inflammatory challenges throughout life. Its development, homeostasis, and regeneration depend on diverse mesenchymal stem and progenitor cell populations derived from the dental follicle, apical papilla, and periodontal ligament.

Recent advances in in vivo lineage-tracing studies have demonstrated that these progenitors are heterogeneous, and lineage restricted, rather than constituting a uniform stem cell pool. Distinct populations, including PTHrP⁺ dental follicle-derived progenitors and CXCL12⁺ apical papilla cells, contribute differentially to cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone formation during tooth root development and postnatal remodeling. The fate decisions of these progenitors are tightly regulated by coordinated signaling pathways, including Hedgehog-Foxf, Wnt/β-catenin, and BMP/TGF-β signaling, as well as by mechanotransducive cues. Spatially and temporally precise regulation of these pathways is essential for proper cementogenesis and alveolar bone formation, whereas their dysregulation leads to impaired periodontal regeneration and bone loss. This review summarizes current knowledge of periodontal stem cell biology with a particular emphasis on developmental origins and in vivo regulatory mechanisms and discusses emerging concepts that support endogenous stem cell-based approaches for periodontal regeneration and future therapeutic strategies.