Dental mesenchymal stem cells under inflammatory condition: A potential candidate for stem cell therapy

Dental and surrounding tissues are important sources of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are the major component of stem cell therapy. In addition to the self-renewal and multi-directional differentiation abilities, the immunoregulatory function of MSCs is of great interest to researchers, which suggests that MSCs can maintain their characteristics and functions in tissues affected by inflammation. This review first discussed the performance changes of inflammatory dental mesenchymal stem cells (i-dMSCs) from both in vivo and in vitro sources, exploring the effects of inflammation on dental mesenchymal stem cells (dMSCs) and the ability of dMSCs to resist the inflammatory microenvironment. Then, we summarized the relevant literature on methods to improve the function of i-dMSCs. Finally, clinical trials related to the preservation of dental and surrounding tissues affected by inflammation were mentioned, demonstrating the presence of functional MSCs in inflammatory tissues. Although further study is needed to support the clinical application of i-dMSCs, these results indicate that they have the potential to become the seed cell for stem cell therapy, providing new ideas for the field of regenerative medicine.