The study of dentistry has made significant advancements in recent years, in both terms of its research and application to practice. The possibility of combining engineering and biology principles to replicate and/or increase tissue function has been an emerging and exciting field in medicine. Hence, the investigation of stem cells is the most promising current research trend in regenerative dentistry.
The three elements of regenerative dentistry are scaffolds, growth factors, and stem cells. Stem cell use in dental procedures has shown the capability to regenerate damaged or missing tissues in the oral and maxillofacial region, encompassing teeth, bone, and gums. Therefore, this has presented new opportunities for dealing with different oral and maxillofacial region-related diseases and injuries. Regenerative dentistry is currently applied in dental medicine and makes one of the biggest promises in this field.
These innovative methods to regenerate teeth in vitro using stem cells, biomaterials, and particular 3D culture conditions can create the basis to overcome implant failure and give rise to novel concepts for tooth and related tissue regeneration.
The oral and maxillofacial region is a complex anatomical region encompassing various tissue types, such as the facial bones, specialized sensory organs, lining and covering tissues, as well as a dense neural and vascular network, and teeth. As we know, several stem cell types, including dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAPs), dental follicle cells (DFCs), and buccal fat pad derived stem cells (BFPSCs), have been detected in the oral and maxillofacial region. Moreover, it was established that stem cells can proliferate rapidly and differentiate into specialized dentin, bone, and neuron cells. Furthermore, tissue-engineered teeth can also be created using non-dental stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells, neural stem cells, bone marrow-derived stem cells, and induced-pluripotent stem cells, by inducing an odontogenic response in these cells through exposure to the proper oral epithelial signals in culture. However, using stem cell-based treatments may lead to new developments in treating damaged teeth, promoting bone regrowth, and improving neurological injury in the oral and maxillofacial region.
This Research Topic aims to present the most up-to-date research showing how stem cell-based therapies can improve the treatment of oral and maxillofacial defects, particularly in dentistry. Using these therapeutic approaches in oral and maxillofacial defects has already yielded many interesting results paving the way for the improvement of therapeutic approaches in this field.
Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Tissue engineering and regenerative dentistry to treat oral and maxillofacial disorders
• Treatment of oral and maxillofacial anomalies with stem cell therapies
• Stem cell-based studies using 3D cell culture systems (Scaffolds, Microfluidics devices, etc.) to regenerate oral and maxillofacial deformities
• Cell-derived vesicles and biomolecules for improving oral and maxillofacial abnormalities
• iPSC technology applications in dentistry
• Biological-based treatments for oral wound healing
• Bone tissue engineering in maxillofacial bones regeneration
We welcome different article types including Original Research, Reviews and Mini-Reviews, Methods, Brief Research Reports, and Perspectives. More information on article types accepted by the journal can be found
here.
Topic Editor, Prof. Yasar Murat Elçin, is the founder and shareholder of Biovalda Health Technologies, Inc. (Ankara, Turkey). The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
