Dental Pulp Stem Cells and Hydrogel in Pulp Regeneration

Abstract

Creating a microenvironment that supports angiogenesis, cellular cross-talk, cell migration and differentiation is crucial in providing an optimal environment for tissue regeneration. Additionally, varying size and contour of the root canals play a critical role and should get into serious consideration in the context of pulp regeneration. Therefore, an ideal scaffold material for pulp regeneration should demonstrate the ability to easily incorporate growth factors and cells by simple mixing and to adapt to the varying contour of the pulp chamber and root canals following injection. Dental pulp stem cells is the predominant type of stem cells that holds the potential to be used in dental pulp regeneration for their ready availability, ease of harvesting and stemness properties. Encapsulation of DPSCs within an injectable hydrogel scaffold provides a favourable approach for pulp regeneration as it can be injected to any irregular-shaped defect eliminating the necessity for custom-made scaffold designs.

Tissue engineering approaches combine cells, scaffolds and growth factors into functional tissues. Stem cells are expected to replace cells that supply the needed structure/function. However, identification and implementation of the correct cell source for the tissue/organ of interest remains a major challenge for most of the tissues.