Periodontal Stem Cells: a Historical Background and Current Perspectives

Sandu Pitaru, A. Sampath Narayanan*, Anusha Etikala, Sandra Treves-Manusevitz

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this review we discuss the historical perspective of stem cell populations from oral tissues in light of our current understanding of stem cell biology. Stem cells and their niches have been identified in the periodontium starting from the late 1970s. Applying new criteria for the identification and characterization reveals that oral tissues comprise a multipotent primitive neural crest-like stem cell population capable of differentiating into neural crest derived cell lineages of the cranial-facial zone. This population supplies cells to a more restricted stem cell type with tissue specific epigenetic memory that differentiates into cell lineages characteristic of their tissue origin. We believe that the microenvironment plays an essential role in maintaining stem cell populations and directing their migration and differentiation, and that this factor needs to be considered for utilization of stem cell-based therapy for periodontal regeneration and regenerative dental medicine.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)26-33
Number of pages8
JournalCurrent Oral Health Reports
Volume1
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2014

Funding

FundersFunder number
National Institutes of HealthDE 13069, DE-08229, DE39584, DE-013061
Bonfils-Stanton Foundation
United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation2011017
Israel Science Foundation384/13, 646/09

    Keywords

    • Alveolar bone
    • Cementum
    • Endosteal space
    • Extracellular matrix
    • Gingiva
    • Microenvironment
    • Neural crest
    • Oral mucosa
    • Paravascular zone
    • Periodontal ligament
    • Periodontal regeneration
    • Progenitors
    • Stem cell differentiation
    • Stem cell niche
    • Stem cells

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