Published online Jun 26, 2021. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i6.605
Peer-review started: January 15, 2021
First decision: February 14, 2021
Revised: February 24, 2021
Accepted: April 22, 2021
Article in press: April 22, 2021
Published online: June 26, 2021
Processing time: 161 Days and 12.4 Hours
Inflammatory periodontal disease known as periodontitis is one of the most common conditions that affect human teeth and often leads to tooth loss. Due to the complexity of the periodontium, which is composed of several tissues, its regeneration and subsequent return to a homeostatic state is challenging with the therapies currently available. Cellular therapy is increasingly becoming an alternative in regenerative medicine/dentistry, especially therapies using mesenchymal stem cells, as they can be isolated from a myriad of tissues. Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) are probably the most adequate to be used as a cell source with the aim of regenerating the periodontium. Biological insights have also highlighted PDLSCs as promising immunomodulator agents. In this review, we explore the state of knowledge regarding the properties of PDLSCs, as well as their therapeutic potential, describing current and future clinical applications based on tissue engineering techniques.
Core Tip: Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) have been studied for their potential to regenerate not only the periodontal complex but also other dental and non-dental tissues. We herein discuss the general features of PDLSCs, and their potential for immunomodulatory, and regenerative therapy.