Therapeutic Potential of Curcumin in regenerative dentistry

Anahid Birjandi Paul Sharpe ^*

• King's College London, London, United Kingdom

Introduction: Natural compounds have emerged as promising candidates in drug development due to their potent immunomodulatory anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, analgesic and healing properties.They have shown significant therapeutic potential in clinical applications, such as mouth rinses, toothpastes, and localized delivery systems. Use of natural alternatives can contribute to tackling antimicrobial resistance. Among natural compounds, curcumin has gained particular attention, demonstrating robust anti-cancer, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory activities in numerous in vivo studies, whilst exhibiting a favorable safety profile for the treatment of various diseases. In this study, the remedial effects of curcumin and its metabolite, tetrahydrocurcumin, on dental pulp cells were explored. Additionally, these results were compared with our previous findings on the effects of these natural compounds on periodontal ligament and gingival epithelial cells, further broadening our understanding of their therapeutic potential in oral disease such as caries and periodontitis.Methods: RNAsequencing was used to investigate the differentially expressed genes in dental pulp cells after treatments with curcumin and tetrahydrocurcumin.Results: 1µM curcumin and tetrahydrocurcumin promote Wnt signalling pathway in dental pulp cells. Curcumin treatment promotes upregulation of cellular metabolism and enhances cellular response to stress. Our enrichment analysis show that treatment with tetrahydrocurcumin modulates extracellular matrix and angiogenesisThe findings of this study highlight the cytoprotective and regenerative properties of curcumin and tetrahydrocurcumin. These properties could be leveraged as a therapeutic approach to promote tissue regeneration in oral diseases.