Advances in periodontal stem cells and the regulating niche: From in vitro to in vivo

Abstract

Summary Periodontium possesses stem cell populations for its self‐maintenance and regeneration, and has been proved to be an optimal stem cell source for tissue engineering. In vitro studies have shown that stem cells can be isolated from periodontal ligament, alveolar bone marrow and gingiva. In recent years, more studies have focused on identification of periodontal stem cells in vivo. Multiple genetic markers, including Gli1, Prx1, Axin2, αSMA, and LepR, were identified with the lineage tracing approaches. Characteristics, functions, and regulatory mechanisms of specific populations expressing one of these markers have been investigated. In vivo studies also revealed that periodontal stem cells can be regulafrted by different niche and mechanisms including intercellular interactions, ECM and multiple secreted factors. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge of in vitro characteristics and in vivo markers of periodontal stem cells, and discussed the specific regulating niche.

Gli1+ Periodontal Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Periodontitis

“…While periodontal MSCs in an inflammatory environment were characterized in vitro (Wei et al 2018; Zheng et al 2019; Lei et al 2022), those studies could not replicate the in vivo conditions and the intricate communications with surrounding tissues (Yi et al 2022). The approach in this current study enabled identification of the distinct changes of the Gli1 + MSCs within the periodontium at various locations and time points in an induced periodontitis model.…”

The effect of adjunctive LASER application on periodontal ligament stem cells

“…The equilibrium between the pro-inflammatory response and the stemness of PDLSCs is a key factor in determining whether tissue integrity and homeostasis is maintained or if disease progression occurs (Zhao et al, 2022). It has been observed that long-term stimulation of PDLSCs by P. gingivalis lipo-polysaccharide (LPS) resulted in an increase in cellular cytokine production and LPS also prevents the development of osteoblasts by impairing ALP activity and mineral synthesis in PDLSCs (Chen et al, 2021;Xu et al, 2023).…”

“…With the advent of stem cell isolation techniques, it was later seen that not only fully differentiated PDL cells but also these stem cells residing in the periodontal ligament, took part in regeneration (Costela-Ruiz et al, 2022). As it is known that regeneration involves the Melcher's triad, the cells and in particular, the stem cells become an indispensable tool to achieve optimal regeneration (Ward, 2022;Yi et al, 2022). To expedite the regenerative potential of these stem cells, various light sources including LASERs and LEDs have been proven to be beneficial in the stimulation of the PDLSCs as mentioned in Table 1.…”

“…The extent of hard and soft tissue loss determines the treatment strategies; however, mechanical debridement remains the cornerstone of periodontal treatment which turns the inflammatory state of the periodontium to a resolving state (Albeshri and Greenstein, 2022;Laleman et al, 2022). Periodontal treatment not only involves elimination of inflammatory and bacterial component from the diseased tooth supporting tissues, but also comprises of regeneration of deteriorated periodontal structures in amenable cases which serves as the bedrock to principles of tissue engineering that engages application of appropriate cells, growth factors and scaffolds Tavelli et al (2022), Yi et al (2022), Sopi et al (2023).…”