Dental Pulp Stem Cells for Bone Tissue Engineering: A Literature Review

Abstract

Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is a promising approach for repairing and regenerating damaged bone tissue, using stem cells and scaffold structures. Among various stem cell sources, dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have emerged as a potential candidate due to their multipotential capabilities, ability to undergo osteogenic differentiation, low immunogenicity, and ease of isolation. This article reviews the biological characteristics of DPSCs, their potential for BTE, and the underlying transcription factors and signaling pathways involved in osteogenic differentiation; it also highlights the application of DPSCs in inducing scaffold tissues for bone regeneration and summarizes animal and clinical studies conducted in this field. This review demonstrates the potential of DPSC-based BTE for effective bone repair and regeneration, with implications for clinical translation.

Figure 1

Three key elements of bone tissue engineering: stem cells capable of differentiating into osteoblasts, regulated by inducible growth factors, and bioresorbable scaffolding matrices to support cellular attachment, migration, and proliferation; promote osteogenesis; promotes osteogenesis and the synthesis and secretion of extracellular matrix proteins, such as collagen; promotes the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts; and promotes angiogenesis.

Figure 2

Differentiation potential of dental pulp stem cells.

Figure 3

Osteogenic differentiation-related signal pathway diagram. The activation of the Wnt signaling pathway leads to the accumulation of β-catenin. TNF-α can enhance the expression of the Wnt signaling pathway agonist SIRT1, thereby activating this pathway and promoting osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs. ERK1/2 pathway regulates phosphatidylserine (PS) and upregulates the expression of related osteogenic genes. P38 MAPK is involved in the regulation of ACE-II-induced proliferation, and actin inhibitor-mediated osteogenesis inhibits adipogenic differentiation. c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling pathway regulates methionine adenosyltransferase and promotes the expression of osteogenic genes.

Figure 4

Bone tissue material scaffold. Degradable materials: polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, copolymer polylactic glycolic acid, collagen sponge, collagen membrane, hydroxyapatite and polylactic acid composite, hydroxyapatite, and collagen composite. These materials will decompose in the human body and be removed by metabolites. Nondegradable materials: tantalum, titanium, magnesium, polymethyl methacrylate, polyurethane, polylactide, polyglycolide, polycaprolactone, hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, and bioceramics. These materials will not decompose in the body but will always exist.