The destruction of periodontal tissue is a crucial problem faced by oral diseases, such as periodontitis and tooth avulsion. However, regenerating periodontal tissue is a huge clinical challenge because of the structural complexity and the poor self-healing capability of periodontal tissue. Tissue engineering has led to advances in periodontal regeneration, however, the source of exogenous seed cells is still a major obstacle. With the improvement of in situ tissue engineering and the exploration of stem cell niches, the homing of endogenous stem cells may bring promising treatment strategies in the future. In recent years, the applications of endogenous cell homing have been widely reported in clinical tissue repair, periodontal regeneration, and cell therapy prospects. Stimulating strategies have also been widely studied, such as the combination of cytokines and chemokines, and the implantation of tissue-engineered scaffolds. In the future, more research needs to be done to improve the efficiency of endogenous cell homing and expand the range of clinical applications.
PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to estimate the benefits and drawbacks of bisphosphonates in the treatment of osteoporosis and osteopenia in middle-aged and elderly individuals. METHODS: We searched Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, the Web of Science, and Cochrane library databases for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of bisphosphonates and performed a network meta-analysis to summarize the direct and indirect evidence on the efficacy and safety of bisphosphonate therapy in middle-aged and elderly individuals with osteoporosis or osteopenia. RESULTS: A total of 14 RCTs (7,769 patients with osteoporosis or osteopenia; median age, 67 years; median follow-up, 27 months) were included in this network meta-analysis. Of these, 8, 10, 9, and 6 RCTs provided outcomes on bone mineral density changes, clinical fracture rates, vertebral fracture rates, and nonvertebral fracture rates, respectively. Regarding the primary efficacy outcome, there was a 97% probability for alendronate to be the most effective treatment approach for increasing bone mineral density and an 84% probability for zoledronate to be the most effective treatment approach for clinical fractures. Regarding vertebral fractures and safety outcomes, zoledronate showed an odds ratio (OR) of 0.45 (95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.30-0.69) relative to placebo. For nonvertebral fractures, the OR of zoledronate relative to placebo was 0.51 (95% CI 0.29-0.90). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that alendronate was effective in increasing bone mineral density in middle-aged individuals and that zoledronate was a safe treatment option for osteoporosis and osteopenia, conferring a low incidence of fracture. However, further clinical studies are needed to confirm these results.
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