Dental Tissue Engineering and Regeneration; Perspectives on Stem Cells, Bioregulators, and Porous Scaffolds

Dental/orofacial tissue engineering is an emerging field that offers alternative solutions for dental problems resulting from pathologies such as caries, trauma, periodontal disease and others. Various stem cell types such as bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) and adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) can be employed as cell sources for dental tissue repair. In particular, dental tissue-derived stem cells such as dental pulp stem cells (DPSCS) and dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs) can be utilized due to their favorable origin and properties. On the other hand, natural and synthetic polymers are used to fabricate 3D dental tissue scaffolds to support cellular activities. Several bioregulators such as cytokines and growth factors can also be incorporated to induce cells interaction and cell-scaffold integration. The literature on the regeneration of dental tissues via tissue engineering principles presents numerous results that are superior to the traditional methods, which are vital for advancing dental therapy. Herein, the types, properties, and applications of dental stem cells (DSCs) were reviewed, as well as the tissue engineering and regeneration strategies for different types of dental tissues.

Keywords: 3D scaffolds, Alveolar bone, Dental pulp, Dental tissue engineering, Dental follicle, Growth factors, Intrabony defect, Periodontium, Periodontal ligament, Stem cells, Tissue regeneration.