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Proceedings of the National Academy of... Dec 2000Dentinal repair in the postnatal organism occurs through the activity of specialized cells, odontoblasts, that are thought to be maintained by an as yet undefined...
Dentinal repair in the postnatal organism occurs through the activity of specialized cells, odontoblasts, that are thought to be maintained by an as yet undefined precursor population associated with pulp tissue. In this study, we isolated a clonogenic, rapidly proliferative population of cells from adult human dental pulp. These DPSCs were then compared with human bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), known precursors of osteoblasts. Although they share a similar immunophenotype in vitro, functional studies showed that DPSCs produced only sporadic, but densely calcified nodules, and did not form adipocytes, whereas BMSCs routinely calcified throughout the adherent cell layer with clusters of lipid-laden adipocytes. When DPSCs were transplanted into immunocompromised mice, they generated a dentin-like structure lined with human odontoblast-like cells that surrounded a pulp-like interstitial tissue. In contrast, BMSCs formed lamellar bone containing osteocytes and surface-lining osteoblasts, surrounding a fibrous vascular tissue with active hematopoiesis and adipocytes. This study isolates postnatal human DPSCs that have the ability to form a dentin/pulp-like complex.
Topics: Adult; Base Sequence; Cell Differentiation; DNA Primers; Dental Pulp; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Immunophenotyping; In Vitro Techniques; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Stem Cells
PubMed: 11087820
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.240309797 -
Journal of Applied Oral Science :... 2021Apical periodontitis is an inflammatory disorder of periradicular tissues developed from endodontic infections. Understanding its pathophysiology and the underlying... (Review)
Review
Apical periodontitis is an inflammatory disorder of periradicular tissues developed from endodontic infections. Understanding its pathophysiology and the underlying molecular mechanisms is key to the advancement of endodontics. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a group of evolutionarily conserved small non-coding RNAs, may be phenotypically and functionally associated with the pathogenesis of apical periodontitis. Several studies have focused on the role of miRNAs in the pulp and periradicular biology, and they have demonstrated their essential functions, such as initiating odontogenic differentiation and promoting pro- or anti-inflammatory responses in pulpitis. Up to date, over 2,000 miRNAs have been discovered in humans; however, only few have been reported to associate with apical periodontitis. Therefore, identifying miRNAs involved in diseased apical tissues and conducting functional studies are important in expanding our current knowledge of pulp and periradicular biology and exploring novel therapeutic avenues. In this review, we revisit current models of apical periodontitis and miRNA biogenesis, analyze existing evidence of the involvement of miRNAs in diseased apical tissues, and discuss their diverse functions and potential values. Based on their sheer abundance, prolonged stability in biofluid, and relative ease of sampling, miRNAs may be a useful tool to be developed as diagnostic biomarkers for apical periodontitis. Furthermore, it can be used as therapeutic targets in conjunction with conventional endodontic therapies.
Topics: Dental Pulp; Endodontics; Humans; MicroRNAs; Periapical Periodontitis; Pulpitis
PubMed: 33886945
DOI: 10.1590/1678-7757-2020-1058 -
The Journal of Clinical Pediatric... 2015Biomarkers are functional elements at the cellular or molecular level, playing important roles in health and disease. The dentin-pulp complex of the tooth houses several... (Review)
Review
Biomarkers are functional elements at the cellular or molecular level, playing important roles in health and disease. The dentin-pulp complex of the tooth houses several biomarkers at different stages of development, and a lack of these biomarkers results in developmental disorders. Furthermore, biomarkers play a very important role in the pathogenesis of dental caries, pulpal and periapical pathoses in two ways - they are essential elements in the pathological process and their detection helps in accurate diagnosis of the pathological condition. The aim of this paper is to review the literature regarding the important biomarkers involved in the development of the dentin-pulp complex and in the pathological conditions involving the dentin-pulp complex.
Topics: Biomarkers; Dental Caries; Dental Pulp; Dentin; Dentinogenesis; Humans; Matrix Metalloproteinases; Odontogenesis; Oral Health; Periapical Diseases; Pulpitis; Tooth Diseases
PubMed: 25951306
DOI: 10.17796/jcpd.39.2.r32617516412p710 -
Dental Clinics of North America Oct 2017No current therapy promotes root canal disinfection and regeneration of the pulp-dentin complex in cases of pulp necrosis. Antibiotic pastes used to eradicate canal... (Review)
Review
No current therapy promotes root canal disinfection and regeneration of the pulp-dentin complex in cases of pulp necrosis. Antibiotic pastes used to eradicate canal infection negatively affect stem cell survival. Three-dimensional easy-to-fit antibiotic-eluting nanofibers, combined with injectable scaffolds, enriched or not with stem cells and/or growth factors, may increase the likelihood of achieving predictable dental pulp regeneration. Periodontitis is an aggressive disease that impairs the integrity of tooth-supporting structures and may lead to tooth loss. The latest advances in membrane biomodification to endow needed functionalities and technologies to engineer patient-specific membranes/constructs to amplify periodontal regeneration are presented.
Topics: Dental Pulp; Dentin; Guided Tissue Regeneration; Guided Tissue Regeneration, Periodontal; Humans; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; Root Canal Therapy; Tissue Scaffolds
PubMed: 28886764
DOI: 10.1016/j.cden.2017.06.009 -
Dental Materials : Official Publication... Apr 2023The current standard for treating irreversibly damaged dental pulp is root canal therapy, which involves complete removal and debridement of the pulp space and filling... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
The current standard for treating irreversibly damaged dental pulp is root canal therapy, which involves complete removal and debridement of the pulp space and filling with an inert biomaterial. A regenerative approach to treating diseased dental pulp may allow for complete healing of the native tooth structure and enhance the long-term outcome of once-necrotic teeth. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to highlight the current state of dental pulp tissue engineering and immunomodulatory biomaterials properties, identifying exciting opportunities for their synergy in developing next-generation biomaterials-driven technologies.
METHODS
An overview of the inflammatory process focusing on immune responses of the dental pulp, followed by periapical and periodontal tissue inflammation are elaborated. Then, the most recent advances in treating infection-induced inflammatory oral diseases, focusing on biocompatible materials with immunomodulatory properties are discussed. Of note, we highlight some of the most used modifications in biomaterials' surface, or content/drug incorporation focused on immunomodulation based on an extensive literature search over the last decade.
RESULTS
We provide the readers with a critical summary of recent advances in immunomodulation related to pulpal, periapical, and periodontal diseases while bringing light to tissue engineering strategies focusing on healing and regenerating multiple tissue types.
SIGNIFICANCE
Significant advances have been made in developing biomaterials that take advantage of the host's immune system to guide a specific regenerative outcome. Biomaterials that efficiently and predictably modulate cells in the dental pulp complex hold significant clinical promise for improving standards of care compared to endodontic root canal therapy.
Topics: Biocompatible Materials; Dental Pulp; Tissue Engineering; Root Canal Therapy; Regeneration
PubMed: 36894414
DOI: 10.1016/j.dental.2023.03.013 -
Oral Diseases Jan 2017Dental caries, trauma, and other possible factors could lead to injury of the dental pulp. Dental infection could result in immune and inflammatory responses mediated by... (Review)
Review
Dental caries, trauma, and other possible factors could lead to injury of the dental pulp. Dental infection could result in immune and inflammatory responses mediated by molecular and cellular events and tissue breakdown. The inflammatory response of dental pulp could be regulated by genetic and epigenetic events. Epigenetic modifications play a fundamental role in gene expression. The epigenetic events might play critical roles in the inflammatory process of dental pulp injury. Major epigenetic events include methylation and acetylation of histones and regulatory factors, DNA methylation, and small non-coding RNAs. Infections and other environmental factors have profound effects on epigenetic modifications and trigger diseases. Despite growing evidences of literatures addressing the role of epigenetics in the field of medicine and biology, very little is known about the epigenetic pathways involved in dental pulp inflammation. This review summarized the current knowledge about epigenetic mechanisms during dental pulp inflammation. Progress in studies of epigenetic alterations during inflammatory response would provide opportunities for the development of efficient medications of epigenetic therapy for pulpitis.
Topics: DNA Methylation; Dental Pulp; Epigenesis, Genetic; Gene Expression Regulation; Histones; Humans; MicroRNAs; Pulpitis
PubMed: 26901577
DOI: 10.1111/odi.12464 -
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative... Dec 2021Although root canal therapy is the most common and widely used treatment at clinical presentation, there are still some postoperative complications. As cell biology and... (Review)
Review
Although root canal therapy is the most common and widely used treatment at clinical presentation, there are still some postoperative complications. As cell biology and tissue engineering techniques advance rapidly, the use of biological therapy to regenerate dental pulp has become a new trend; Relevant literatures in recent five years were searched using key words such as "root canal therapy", "Dental pulp stem cells", "Dental pulp regeneration", and "Cell homing" in PubMed, Web of Science, etc; Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have multi-differentiation potential, self-renewal capability, and high proliferative ability. Stem cell-based dental pulp regeneration has emerged as a new research hot spot in clinical therapy. Recently, dental pulp-like structures have been generated by the transplantation of exogenous DPSCs or the induction of homing of endogenous DPSCs. Studies on DPSCs are important and significant for dental pulp regeneration and dental restoration; In this review, the existing clinical treatment methods, dental pulp regeneration, and DPSC research status are revealed, and their application prospects are discussed. The stem cell-based pulp regeneration exerts promising potential in clinical therapy for pulp regeneration.
Topics: Cell Differentiation; Dental Pulp; Regeneration; Stem Cells; Tissue Engineering
PubMed: 34536210
DOI: 10.1007/s13770-021-00389-2 -
Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine Jun 2020Dental pulp with special structure has become a good reference sample in paleomicrobiology-related blood-borne diseases, many pathogens were detected by different... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Dental pulp with special structure has become a good reference sample in paleomicrobiology-related blood-borne diseases, many pathogens were detected by different methods based on the diagnosis of nucleic acids and proteins.
OBJECTIVES
This review aims to propose the preparation process from ancient teeth collection to organic molecule extraction of dental pulp and summary, analyze the methods that have been applied to detect septicemic pathogens through ancient dental pulps during the past 20 years following the first detection of an ancient microbe.
METHODS
The papers used in this review with two main objectives were obtained from PubMed and Google scholar with combining keywords: "ancient," "dental pulp," "teeth," "anatomy," "structure," "collection," "preservation," "selection," "photography," "radiography," "contamination," "decontamination," "DNA," "protein," "extraction," "bone," "paleomicrobiology," "bacteria," "virus," "pathogen," "molecular biology," "proteomics," "PCR," "MALDI-TOF," "LC/MS," "ELISA," "immunology," "immunochromatography," "genome," "microbiome," "metagenomics."
RESULTS
The analysis of ancient dental pulp should have a careful preparation process with many different steps to give highly accurate results, each step complies with the rules in archaeology and paleomicrobiology. After the collection of organic molecules from dental pulp, they were investigated for pathogen identification based on the analysis of DNA and protein. Actually, DNA approach takes a principal role in diagnosis while the protein approach is more and more used. A total of seven techniques was used and ten bacteria (Yersinia pestis, Bartonella quintana, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi C, Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Rickettsia prowazeki, Staphylococcus aureus, Borrelia recurrentis, Bartonella henselae) and one virus (Anelloviridae) were identified. Y. pestis had the most published in quantity and all methods were investigated for this pathogen, S. aureus and B. recurrentis were identified by three different methods and others only by one. The combining methods interestingly increase the positive rate with ELISA, PCR and iPCR in Yersinia pestis diagnosis. Twenty-seven ancient genomes of Y. pestis and one ancient genome of B. recurrentis were reconstructed. Comparing to the ancient bone, ancient teeth showed more advantage in septicemic diagnosis. Beside pathogen identification, ancient pulp help to distinguish species.
CONCLUSIONS
Dental pulp with specific tissue is a suitable sample for detection of the blood infection in the past through DNA and protein identification with the correct preparation process, furthermore, it helps to more understand the pathogens of historic diseases and epidemics.
Topics: Bacterial Infections; DNA, Ancient; Dental Pulp; Fossils; Humans; Metagenome; Microbiota
PubMed: 32233019
DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1202 -
Cells Aug 2021The dental pulp can be affected by thermal, physical, chemical, and bacterial phenomena that stimulate the inflammatory response. The pulp tissue produces an...
The dental pulp can be affected by thermal, physical, chemical, and bacterial phenomena that stimulate the inflammatory response. The pulp tissue produces an immunological, cellular, and vascular reaction in an attempt to defend itself and resolve the affected tissue. The expression of different microRNAs during pulp inflammation has been previously documented. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small molecules involved in the transcription of genes that regulate the immune system and the inflammatory response. They are present in cellular and physiological functions, as well as in the pathogenesis of human diseases, becoming potential biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, and safety. Previous studies have evidenced the different roles played by miRNAs in proinflammatory, anti-inflammatory, and immunological phenomena in the dental pulp, highlighting specific key functions of pulp pathology. This systematized review aims to provide an understanding of the role of the different microRNAs detected in the pulp and their effects on the expression of the different target genes that are involved during pulp inflammation.
Topics: Cell Differentiation; Dental Pulp; Down-Regulation; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Inflammation; MicroRNAs; RNA, Messenger; Signal Transduction; Up-Regulation
PubMed: 34440911
DOI: 10.3390/cells10082142 -
Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark... Oct 2023Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are a type of mesenchymal stem cells derived from dental pulp that serves as an important model for investigating biological regeneration.... (Review)
Review
Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are a type of mesenchymal stem cells derived from dental pulp that serves as an important model for investigating biological regeneration. DPSCs have a multipotent differentiation capacity and can promote different biological processes, including osteogenesis, odontogenesis, chondrogenesis, and angiogenesis. These biological processes are regulated by an extensive range of intra- and extra-cellular factors. Further, biomechanical cues, such as substrate stiffness, physical stress, and cell spreading, have been highlighted as particularly important modulators of DPSC function. This review sought to discuss various related signaling components involved in biomechanical cues and their respective roles in cellular and tissue responses in DPSCs, summarize current findings, and provide an outlook on the potential applications of biomechanics in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
Topics: Stem Cells; Dental Pulp; Cell Differentiation; Osteogenesis; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Cells, Cultured; Cell Proliferation
PubMed: 37919075
DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2810274